chless with pleasure.

"You have come, dears," said Mrs. Ward. "Welcome, all four!--These are
your girls, Mr. Tristram"--she singled out Molly and Isabel without
being introduced to them. "I know them," she said with a smile, "from
their likeness to you. And these are the Cardews. Now, which is Cicely
and which Merry? Ah, I think I can tell. This is Merry, is she not?"
and she laid her hand on the pretty girl's shoulder.

"Yes, I am Merry," replied Meredith Cardew in a voice which almost
choked her.

"And you, of course, are Cicely," said Mrs. Ward. "In this house all
the girls speak to each other by their Christian names; and you will
be Cicely and Merry to me, as Molly and Isabel Tristram will be Molly
and Isabel to me. You know Aneta, of course. She is hovering near,
anxious to take possession of you. Go with her, dears. I think all my
girls have now come.--Is it not so, Miss Talbot?"

"Yes, Mrs. Ward," replied Miss Talbot.

"Miss Talbot, may I introduce my four new pupils to you, Cicely and
Merry Cardew, and Molly and Isabel Tristram?--You will have a good
deal to do with Miss Talbot, girls, for she is our English teacher,
and my very great friend."

Miss Talbot blushed slightly from pleasure. She said a gentle word to
each girl, and a minute afterwards they had, so to speak, crossed the
Rubicon, and were in the heart of Aylmer House; for Aneta had seized
Merry's hand, and Cicely followed immediately afterwards, while Molly
and Belle found themselves one at each side of Maggie Howland.

"Oh, this is delightful!" said Maggie. "We have all met at last. Isn't
the day glorious? Isn't the place perfect? Aren't you in love with
Mrs. Ward?"

"She seems very nice," said Molly in an almost timid voice.

"How nice Merry and Cicely look!" continued Maggie.

"You look nice, yourself, Maggie. Everything is wonderful," said
Molly; "not a bit like the school in Hanover."

"Of course not. Who could compare it?" said Maggie.

Meanwhile Aneta, Cicely, and Merry had gone on in front. But as they
were ascending the broad, low stairs, Merry turned and glanced at
Maggie and smiled at her, and Maggie smiled back at Merry. Oh, that
smile of Merry's, how it caused her heart to leap! Aneta, try as she
would, could not take Merry Cardew quite away from her.

Cicely and Merry had a bedroom together. Two little white beds stood
side by side. The drugget on the floor was pale blue. The room was a
study in pale blue and white. It