ons could taunt her with
being a charity girl any more, Mr. Enderby's fears for her would then be
laid to rest, and the dread of disappointing him would be lifted off her
mind. In Miss Davis's school she could live and work until she had
acquired all that learning which to her was so hard to attain.

With a sweet and brave, if not a glad, look on her face, Hetty came into
the school-room that morning and found Phyllis and Nell chatting more
gaily than usual at the fire.

"Oh, Hetty," cried Nell, "you must hear our news! We are going to have
such a delightful visitor in the house."

"How you rush to conclusions, Nell!" said her sister. "You have not seen
her yet, and you pronounce her delightful."

"I know from what mamma told us," cried Nell. "She is pretty, amiable,
clever--and ever so rich. Only think, Hetty--to be an heiress at
twenty-one without anyone to keep you from doing just as you please! She
has a country house in France, and a house in London, with a good old
lady to take care of her, who does exactly what she bids her."

"Mother did not say all that," said Phyllis.

"Oh! but I gathered it all from what she did say."

"Is she an orphan then?" asked Hetty.

"She has neither father, nor mother, nor brother, nor sister. Now,
Hetty, don't look as if that was a misfortune. It is natural for you to
feel it, of course. But if you had houses, and horses, and carriages,
and money, you would not think it so bad to be able to do what you
liked."

"Nell, I am shocked at you," said Miss Davis. "Would you give up your
parents for such selfish advantages as you describe?"

"Oh dear no!" cried Nell. "But if I never had had them, like Reine
Gaythorne, and did not know anything about them, I daresay I could
manage to amuse myself in the world."

This was the first mention of the name of Reine Gaythorne in the
Wavertree school-room, and it was certainly far from the last. Mrs.
Enderby had met the young lady at a neighbouring country house, and had
thought she would be a desirable acquaintance for her daughters. There
was something interesting about the circumstances which had placed a
young, beautiful, and wealthy girl alone, and her own mistress, in the
world. Mr. and Mrs. Enderby had been greatly attracted by her, and had
invited her to pay a visit at their house.

In the course of a few days she arrived at the Hall, and then Phyllis
and Nell were but little in the school-room.

Hetty and Miss Davis went on a