f good birth. She did
not mind Tildy in the least, for Tildy was so far below her as to be
after a fashion quite companionable; but--a grocer! Nevertheless,
Aneta had a heart. She thought of Maggie, and the more she thought of
her the more pitiful she felt towards her. She did not want to crush
or humiliate her schoolfellow. She felt almost glad that the secret
of Maggie's unhappiness had been made known to her. She might at last
gain a true influence over the girl.

Her walk, therefore, with Mademoiselle Laplage took place almost in
silence. They hastily executed their commissions, and presently found
themselves in Pearce's shop, where Aneta had taken a brooch a day or
two ago to have a pin put on.

The shopman, as he handed her the mended brooch, said at the same
time, "If you will excuse me, miss, you are one of the young ladies
who live at Aylmer House?"

"Yes," said Aneta, "that is true."

"Then I wonder, miss, if"----He paused a minute, looked hard at the
girl, and then continued, "Might my brother speak to you for a minute,
miss?"

"But it make so cold!" said mademoiselle, who knew very little of the
English tongue, "and behold--zee fog! I have such fear of it. It is
not to joke when it fogs in your country, _ma chere. Il faute bien
depecher_."

"I shall be quite ready to come back with you in a minute or two,"
said Aneta.

Just then the man who had bought the brooch from Maggie appeared. "I
am very sorry, miss," he said, "but I thought that, instead of writing
to Miss Howland, I might send her a message; otherwise I should have
to see Mrs. Ward on the matter."

"But what matter is it?" said Aneta. "You want to see Miss Howland, or
you want me to take her a message?"

"Well, miss, it's no special secret; only my brother and I cannot
afford to buy the brooch which she sold us the other day."

"But I don't understand," said Aneta. "Miss Howland sold you a brooch?
Then if she sold it, you did buy it."

"The fact is, miss," said young Pearce, coloring rather deeply, "I was
not myself quite aware of its value at the time, and I gave the young
lady much too small a sum of money for it. I want her to return me the
money, and I will give her back the brooch. My brother and I have been
talking it over, and we cannot do an injustice to one of the ladies at
Aylmer House--it is quite impossible."

"I will give your message," said Aneta coldly. "Please do not purchase
anything else from Miss Howland. She will