han you are to me. For she didn't write them,
Cousin Appolina. She didn't write the lines about you. I have brought
her with me to hear me confess. She is as innocent as--as that piece of
statuary. I wrote the verses. _I_ did!"

For a moment there was an alarming silence, but Peggy, having once begun
her confession, courageously continued.

"I did it to frighten Milly. I put it in the box, but 'way underneath,
for her to see when the poems came home. I thought it would be such fun
to watch her when she read it, and found it had been to the fair with
the others. Of course it was just my luck to have you find it, but, it
was a silly, foolish thing to do, just as it was perfectly horrid of me
to make Milly send her own verses to the fair. That was my fault, too. I
urged her to do it just to get some fun out of it, and I didn't get a
bit.

"Then this morning, when you thought Milly had written them all, and she
didn't say anything, I thought I would let it pass, for I wanted
dreadfully to go to England, and I knew that her chances were over on
account of the slippers. Well, I was firm about it for an hour or so,
and then I found how generous Milly was to say nothing, and she thought
Joan had done it, and was going to scold her, and-- Oh, well, I don't
think it pays to deceive! I never was so unhappy in my life as I have
been to-day. Milly, you dear old soul, say you forgive me!"

During this long speech Millicent had time to think the matter over. Her
chief feeling was one of thankfulness that it was not Joanna who had
done this thing. And Millicent had a sweet nature and never harbored
anger very long.

Of course it was a dreadful thing for Peggy to have done, but her cousin
knew how dearly she loved a joke, and though it had been wrong for her
to deceive Miss Briggs and herself this morning, she had not kept it up
long, and it was easy to see that she was sorry enough for it now.

So when Peggy asked her to forgive her, Millicent's answer was a warm
kiss.

"And have I nothing to forgive?"

It was Miss Briggs who put the question.

"Yes, of course you have, Cousin Appolina! I am terribly sorry that I
ever did such a thing. It was rude, impertinent, everything that was
bad. I hope you will forgive me. Of course it is all true, but I needn't
have said it."

"True?"

"Why, yes. You know you are a dame of high degree, and you have always
scolded me, and in your winter bonnet and big fur cape you
were--er--well,