rls--most of them
wearing pretty white dresses, for they were all still in full summer
attire--met in the wide, pleasant hall. Aneta performed the ceremony
of introduction.

"Henrietta and Mary Gibson, may I introduce my special friends and
cousins, Cicely and Meredith--otherwise Merry--Cardew?"

Two tall, fair, lady-like girls responded to this introduction with a
hearty shake of the hand and a hearty welcome to the new-comers.

"Here is Rosamond Dacre," continued Aneta, as a very dark, somewhat
plain girl appeared in view.--"Rosamond, my friends and cousins,
Cicely and Merry Cardew."

Rosamond shook hands, but stiffly and without any smile. The next
minute a laughing, merry, handsome little girl, with dark-blue eyes,
very dark curling eyelashes, and quantities of curling black hair,
tumbled rather than walked into view.

"Ah Kathleen--Kitty, you're just as incorrigible as ever!" cried
Aneta:--"Girls, this is our Irish romp, as we always call her. Her
name is Kathleen O'Donnell.--Now then, Kathleen, you must be good, you
know, and not too terribly Irish. I have the honor to present to you,
Kathleen, my cousins Cicely and Merry Cardew."

Kathleen did more than smile. She laughed outright. "I am delighted
you have come," she said. "How are you? Isn't school glorious? I do
love it! I have come straight from Glengariff--the most beautiful part
of the whole of Ireland. Do you know Ireland? Have you ever seen
Bantry Bay? Oh, there is no country in all the world like it, and
there is no scenery so magnificent."

"Come, Kitty, not quite so much chatter," said Aneta.--"Ah, there's
the tea-gong."

The girls now followed Aneta into a pleasant room which looked out on
to a small garden. The garden, compared to the great, sweeping lawns
and lovely parterres of Meredith Manor, was insignificant.
Nevertheless, with the French windows of the refectory wide open, and
the beds full of hardy flowers--gay geraniums, late roses, innumerable
asters, fuchsias, etc.--it appeared as a fresh surprise to the country
girls.

"It isn't like London," thought Merry.

At tea she found herself, greatly to her relief, at Maggie's side.
There was also another piece of good fortune--at least so it seemed to
the Cardews, whose conversational French was still almost
_nil_--Mademoiselle Laplage was unexpectedly absent, the good lady
being forced to remain in her room with a sudden, overpowering
headache, and pleasant, good-natured Lucy--otherw