e. "Is Papa in the
drawing-room, Mamma?"

"Yes, darling; run and speak to him; he is expecting you. This is your
room, Marjorie; I hope you will find it comfortable."

"It's a beautiful room," declared Marjorie, heartily, "only--only, are
you quite sure you want me to have it, Aunt Julia?"

"Quite sure," said Mrs. Carleton, smiling. "I suppose your trunk will be
here before long. Hortense will unpack for you, and help you to dress
for dinner."

Marjorie's eyes opened wide in surprise, and she glanced at the
white-capped French maid, who still lingered in the background.

"You are very kind, Aunt Julia," she said politely, "but I don't need
any help; I always do everything for myself."

Mrs. Carleton looked a little embarrassed.

"You may go, Hortense," she said, turning to the maid; "Miss Marjorie
will ring if she wants you. You mustn't let her think you don't need
her, dear," she added in a lower tone, as the maid left the room. "She
is rather inclined to be lazy, and she will take advantage of you if you
are too easy with her."

Marjorie said nothing, but she was both puzzled and uncomfortable. Mrs.
Carleton, however, did not appear to notice that anything was wrong.

"I will leave you for a little while now," she said. "You must make
yourself at home; your uncle and I want you to be very happy here."

The quick tears started to Marjorie's eyes, and she impulsively held out
her hand to her aunt. But Mrs. Carleton did not notice the gesture, and
in another moment she had left the room, closing the door after her. In
the entry she encountered Elsie returning from the interview with her
father. Elsie was not in the best of spirits.

"Papa has sent me to stay with Marjorie," she said in a discontented
whisper. "He says he is afraid she is homesick. Oh, Mamma, did you ever
see such clothes?"

"Never mind about the clothes, dear," said her mother, with forced
cheerfulness; "we shall soon fit her out with new ones. I think she will
really be quite pretty when she is properly dressed."

Elsie shrugged her shoulders, but made no further remarks, and the next
moment she was tapping at her cousin's door.

"Oh, I'm so glad you've come!" was Marjorie's joyful greeting. "Now we
can have a nice talk before my trunk comes. Sit down in this comfortable
chair and I'll take the little one. Isn't this a lovely room, and wasn't
it sweet of your mother to say she hoped I should be happy here? Oh, I
wonder if you can possib