ill they came to the door of Mary's chamber, which, opening from such
surroundings, had upon Letty much the effect of a chapel--and rightly,
for it was a room not unused to having its door shut. It was small, and
plainly but daintily furnished, with no foolish excess of the small
refinements on which girls so often set value, spending large time on
what it would be waste to buy: only they have to kill the weary captive
they know not how to redeem, for he troubles them with his moans.

"Sit down, Letty dear, and tell me what is the matter," said Mary,
placing her friend in a chintz-covered straw chair, and seating herself
beside her.

Letty burst into tears, and sat sobbing.

"Come, dear, tell me all about it," insisted Mary. "If you don't make
haste, they will be calling me."

Letty could not speak.

"Then I'll tell you what," said Mary; "you must stop with me to-night,
that we may have time to talk it over. You sit here and amuse yourself
as well as you can till the shop is shut, and then we shall have such a
talk! I will send your tea up here. Beenie will be good to you."

"Oh, but, indeed, I can't!" sobbed Letty; "my aunt would never forgive
me."

"You silly child! I never meant to keep you without sending to your
aunt to let her know."

"She won't let me stop," persisted Letty.

"We will try her," said Mary, confidently; and, without more ado, left
Letty, and, going to her desk in the shop, wrote a note to Mrs.
Wardour. This she gave to Beenie to send by special messenger to
Thornwick; after which, she told her, she must take up a nice tea to
Miss Lovel in her bedroom. Mary then resumed her place in the shop,
under the frowns and side-glances of Turnbull, and the smile of her
father, pleased at her reappearance from even such a short absence.

But the return, in an hour or so, of the boy-messenger, whom Beenie had
taken care not to pay beforehand, destroyed the hope of a pleasant
evening; for he brought a note from Mrs. Wardour, absolutely refusing
to allow Letty to spend the night from home: she must return
immediately, so as to get in before dark.

The rare anger flushed Letty's cheek and flashed from her eyes as she
read; for, in addition to the prime annoyance, her aunt's note was
addressed to her and not to Mary, to whom it did not even allude. Mary
only smiled inwardly at this, but Letty felt deeply hurt, and her
displeasure with her aunt added yet a shade to the dimness of her
judgment. She rose