allow you to do so.'

"'I do not do so, Madame La P----re,' she answered. 'I prefer to stay
with you to going even to Mrs. Baxter's, whom I love sincerely. She is
an excellent and most faithful friend, but I am better and safer here
with you.'

"She looked steadily at me as she began the sentence, but dropped her
eyes suddenly as she said the last words.

"'Lina,' I said, (it was in the evening, as I was leaving the
class-room, and all the _eleves_ had already gone,) 'carry me up some of
these books to my room,--I have more than usual to-night'; for I saw
there was something hidden behind this reserved manner, and felt
interested.

"She took the books, and followed me. As she laid them down and arranged
them in order on the table, I closed the door and said,--

"'Miss Dale, you have not looked very well lately, I think; I have
several times intended to tell you, that, if you would like to go home
some Saturday and spend the Sunday with your parents, you can do so.'
(Her family was then living at Kenneville, a village about twelve miles
from here.) 'I have noticed that you have never asked permission to do
this, and thought you might be waiting till I mentioned it myself.'

"She started as I said the word 'home.'

"'No, no,' she said, almost vehemently, 'I cannot go home, I do not wish
to'; and then she continued, in her usually cold, quiet manner,--'You
remember, perhaps, Madame, that I am not happily circumstanced at home.'

"She pondered a moment, and then said, as if she had made up her mind
about something,--

"'After all, I may as well tell you, Madame, all about it, as by doing
so some things in my conduct that may have seemed strange to you will be
cleared up,--that is, if you choose to hear?'

"'Certainly, _ma chere_,' I replied. 'I should be glad to hear all you
have to tell me. Sit down here.'

"She still remained standing, however, before me, her eyelids
drooping,--not shyly, for her eyes had a steady, abstracted expression,
as if she were arranging her facts in systematic order so as to tell me
her story in her usual clear, business-like manner.

"'You know, Madame, my father is guardian to two brothers, the sons of
an old army-friend of his, who died in India when his two sons were
quite boys, leaving his cousin, Colonel Lucas, together with my father,
joint guardians of his children. The boys, during school or college
vacations, spent the time partly at our house and partly at the house of
C