ng unequal to the task of parting with their
darlings in the presence of their companions. The real parting had
taken place the previous night; and that pain which Merry had felt at
intervals during the end of the summer vacation was sharp enough to
cause her to cry when she lay down to sleep on the night before going
to school. But Merry was brave, and so was Cicely; and, although Merry
did hate beyond words the thought of not seeing her beloved father and
her dear mother until Christmas, she thought also that very good
times were before her, and she was resolved to make the best of them.

Molly and Isabel, who were quite accustomed to going to school, had no
pangs of heart at all when they bade their mother good-bye. As to
Peterkins and Jackdaw, as they were also going to school on the
following day, they scarcely observed the departure of their sisters,
only saying, when Belle hugged one and Molly the other, "What a fuss
you girls do make! Now, if Spot-ear and Fanciful were to fret about us
there'd be some reason in it. But mother's going to look after them;
and mother's a brick, I can tell you." The girls laughed very merrily,
and asked what message her two adorers would like to send to Maggie.

The two adorers only vouchsafed the remark, "Don't bother; we're going
to be with boys now, and boys are worth all the girls in creation put
together."

The journey to town was taken without any special adventure, and at
about three o'clock in the afternoon an omnibus containing the four
girls, accompanied by Mr. Tristram, with their luggage piled on the
roof, stopped at Aylmer House.

Aneta had already arrived; and as the girls entered with a new feeling
of timidity through the wide-open doors they caught a glimpse of
Maggie in the distance. There were other girls, absolute strangers to
them, who peeped for a minute over the balusters and then retired from
view. But, whatever the four strangers might have felt with regard to
these interesting occurrences, every other feeling was brought into
subjection by the appearance of Mrs. Ward on the scene.

Mrs. Ward looked quite as stately as Mrs. Cardew, with her beautiful
face still quite young; with her most kind, most gentle, most
protective manner; with the glance of the eye and the pressure of the
hand which spoke untold volumes of meaning. Merry felt her loving
heart rise in sudden adoration. Cicely gave her a quick, adoring
glance. As to Molly and Isabel, they were spee