is what I mean to bring him to before
a month is over his venerable skeleton!"

And, with this characteristic resolution, Mary Grey went to bed.

CHAPTER II.

LAURA LYTTON'S MYSTERIOUS BENEFACTOR.

There never was a closer friendship between two girls than that which
bound Laura Lytton and Emma Cavendish together.

On the night of Laura's arrival, after they had retired from the
drawing-room, and Electra had gone to bed and gone to sleep, Laura and
Emma sat up together in Emma's room and talked until nearly
daylight--talked of everything in the heavens above, the earth below,
and the waters under the earth. And then, when at length they parted,
Laura asked:

"May I come in here with you to dress to-morrow? And then we can finish
our talk."

"Surely, love! Use my room just like your own," answered Emma, with a
kiss.

And they separated for a few hours.

But early in the morning, as soon as Emma was out of bed, she heard a
tap at her chamber door, and she opened it to see Laura standing there
in her white merino dressing-gown, with her dark hair hanging down and a
pile of clothing over her arms.

"Come in, dear," said Emma, greeting her with a kiss.

And Laura entered and laid her pile of clothing on a chair, discovering
in her hand a rich casket, which she set upon the dressing-table,
saying:

"Here, Emma, dear, I have something very curious to show you. You have
heard me speak of some unknown friend who is paying the cost of my
brother's and my own education?"

"Yes. Haven't you found out yet who he is?" inquired Miss Cavendish.

"No; and I do not even know whether our benefactor is a he or a she. But
anyhow he has sent me this," said Laura, unlocking the casket and
lifting the lid.

"A set of diamonds and opals fit for a princess!" exclaimed Emma, in
admiration, as she gazed upon the deep blue satin tray, on which was
arranged a brooch, a pair of ear-rings, a bracelet and a necklace of the
most beautiful opals set in diamonds.

"Yes, they are lovely! They must have come from Paris. They are highly
artistic," answered Laura. "But look at these others, will you? These
are barbaric," she added, lifting the upper tray from the casket and
taking from the recess beneath the heaviest cable gold chain, a heavier
finger ring, and a pair of bracelets. "Just take these in your double
hands and 'heft' them, as the children say," she concluded, as she put
the weight of gold in Emma's open palms, which