tudies, though not so far
advanced as might have been expected. Esther was far ahead of her in
most subjects, and Mellicent learned with pained surprise that she knew
nothing whatever about decimal fractions.

"Circumstances, dear," she explained, "circumstances over which I had no
control prevented an acquaintance, but no doubt I shall soon know all
about them, and then I shall be pleased to give you the promised help;"
and Mellicent found herself saying, "Thank you," in a meek and
submissive manner, instead of indulging in a well-merited rebuke.

No amount of ignorance seemed to daunt Mariquita, or to shake her belief
in herself. When Maxwell came to grief in a Latin essay, she looked up
and said, "Can I assist you?" and when Robert read aloud a passage from
Carlyle, she laid her head on one side and said, "Now, do you know, I am
not altogether sure that I am with him on that point!" with an assurance
which paralysed the hearers.

Esther and Mellicent discussed seriously together as to whether they
liked, or disliked, this extraordinary creature, and had great
difficulty in coming to a conclusion. She teased, puzzled, aggravated,
and provoked them; therefore, if they had any claim to be logical, they
should dislike her cordially, yet somehow or other they could not bring
themselves to say that they disliked Mariquita. There were moments when
they came perilously near loving the aggravating creature. Already it
gave them quite a shock to look back upon the time when there was no
Peggy Saville to occupy their thoughts, and life without the interest of
her presence would have seemed unspeakably flat and uninteresting. She
was a bundle of mystery. Even her looks seemed to exercise an uncanny
fascination. On the evening of her arrival the unanimous opinion had
been that she was decidedly plain, but there was something about the
pale little face which always seemed to invite a second glance, and the
more closely you gazed, the more complete was the feeling of
satisfaction.

"Her face is so _neat_," Mellicent said to herself; and the adjective
was not inappropriate, for Peggy's small features looked as though they
had been modelled by the hand of a fastidious artist, and the air of
dainty finish extended to her hands and feet and slight, graceful
figure.

The subject came up for discussion on the third evening after Peggy's
arrival, when she had been called out of the room to speak to Mrs
Asplin for a few minut