ith half-a-dozen shades of gold in its luxuriant waves; the grey eyes
had delicately marked brows and generous lashes, and the red lips
drooped in sweetest curves. The old lady's face softened as she gazed,
until it looked very sweet and motherly.

"Lettice," she said softly, "my dear little girl, I hope we shall be
happy together! I will do all I can for you. Do you think you can be
content--that you can care for me a little bit in return?"

"Yes, oh yes--a great deal!" Lettice's heart was beating so quickly
that she hardly knew what she was saying, but it came naturally to her
to form pretty speeches, and the glance of the lovely eyes added charm
to her words.

"I hope so--I hope so! And now I want to tell you the reason why I
choose you before either of your sisters. I alluded just now to
something which had influenced me, but which I could not mention in
public. It is about this that I want to speak." Miss Carr paused for a
few minutes, stroking the girl's soft, flexible hands.

"Do you know what is meant by an `Open Sesame,' my dear?"

"Oh, yes. It is the word which Ali Baba used in the `Arabian Nights,'
and that made the doors in the rocks fly open before him."

"Yes, that is right. I see you know all about it; but would you
understand what I meant, dear, if I said that God had given _you_ an
`Open Sesame' into other people's hearts and lives?"

Lettice looked up quickly, surprised and awed. "I? No! How have I--?"

"Look in the mirror opposite!" said the old lady gravely, and the girl
hung her head in embarrassment.

"No, my dear, there is no need to blush. If you had a talent for music,
like Norah, you would not think it necessary to be embarrassed every
time it was mentioned, and beauty is a gift from God, just as much as
anything else, and ought to be valued accordingly. It is a great power
in the world--perhaps a greater power than anything else, and the people
who possess it have much responsibility. You are a beautiful girl,
Lettice; you will be a beautiful woman; everyone you meet will be
attracted to you, and you will have an `Open Sesame' into their hearts.
Do you realise what that means? It means that you will have power over
other people's lives; that you will be able to influence them for good
or evil; that you can succeed where others fail, and carry sunshine
wherever you go. But it will also be in your power to cause a great
deal of misery. There have been women in the wor