ty of discipline, both with her children and servants;
and sometimes she had ventured, though that perhaps was not very wise,
to set their mutual friend Mrs. Maitland before her as a pattern for
mothers and mistresses. This, however, invariably produced some angry
retort, or at least a flood of tears, and ended with a secret
determination on the part of the elder sister to say no more on the
subject, but permit things to take their course; though she had made up
her mind on coming home to do as Mr. Ellis had once suggested to her,
that was, to receive Mabel as one of her pupils.

This was entirely with the idea of relieving her sister, and effecting a
reformation, if possible, in the character of her niece; though she
almost dreaded the introduction of such an element of discord into their
peaceful and happy household. Mabel, we have seen, had a great dislike
to her gentle cousin Clara, perhaps because she had heard her praises
often sounded; and she disliked her Aunt Mary quite as much, though it
would have been difficult for her to have given a 'reason why,' if it
had been asked for.

'I shall hate them both, I know I shall,' said Mabel to her sister
Julia, on the morning of the day on which Miss Livesay was expected to
come to Camden Terrace. 'There will be lessons and work, lessons and
work, all the day long. I shall be miserable, I know I shall; and I'll
tell mamma so, and beg of her not to let me go.'

'No, don't do that, Mabel; you will only make poor mamma unhappy, and
papa angry,' said the wise younger sister; and she added, 'I wish I
could go to Oak Villa. I like Cousin Clara very much, and Dora and Annie
Maitland too; I am sure you will find them very nice companions, all of
them.'

'Oh yes, it's all very fine what you are saying,' said Mabel; 'but I
know very well that you only want to get rid of me, and so does papa,
for I heard him say so; and I think it's unkind and cruel of you both,'
exclaimed the angry girl.

'Well, at any rate, you are not going very far away from us,' said
Julia; 'it is only a nice walk from Oak Villa to our house, so I and
Freddy can come and see you often, and you can come to see us.'

Just then a cab was heard to stop at the door, and the dreaded lady and
her niece Clara alighted, each with parcels in their hands; presents, no
doubt, to the small fry who had climbed up to the window to see who was
coming.

'Now don't look so cross, Mabel; don't let Aunt Mary see that you d