ased.
Well, if I must study, I must; so, here goes," and, drawing the
despised grammar towards her once more, Winnie set herself steadily to
master part of the contents.

Meanwhile, Nellie, deprived of the companionship of her new friend, was
being sharply catechised by Ada Irvine as to her antecedents and
general history. The girl at first innocently replied to each
question; but after a time she resented the queries, and thereby
incurred that young lady's haughty displeasure, and brought down on
herself the sharp edge of Ada's sarcastic tongue.

"Not much of a pedigree to boast about, girls," was the final verdict,
given with a slight curl of the lip, signifying unbounded
contempt,--"the grandfather on the one side a farmer, on the other a
draper; the father a poor country doctor; three old maiden aunts living
in one of our commonest localities, keeping no servant, doing their own
work, and dressing like Quakers. It's a wonder to hear Miss Latimer
speak without dropping her h's, or otherwise murdering the Queen's
English, ha, ha!" and Miss Irvine shrugged her elegant shoulders
scornfully.

"Oh, come, Ada, that is going too far," protested some of the girls,
shocked at the rude words and the cool deliberate manner in which they
were said; but their insolent school-fellow silenced them with an
impatient gesture, as she surveyed the flushed face of her victim and
awaited a reply.

Nellie felt both hurt and indignant. She had grown up in her quiet,
country home, totally ignorant of the arrogancy and pride so much
abroad in the busy world; and coming to school with the expectancy of
finding pleasant companions and friends, the words struck home to her
heart with a chill.

"How unkind you are!" she murmured, struggling to suppress the angry
tears; "you have no right to speak so to me. My aunts are not rich, it
is true, and cannot afford to dress so extravagantly as many; but that
does not prevent them from being perfect gentlewomen, does it? Your
own mother cannot be a more thorough lady than my Aunt Judith, I am
sure."

"Is that so?" said Ada with mocking sarcasm, and the contempt in her
voice was indescribable. "What presumption! the lower classes are
beginning to look up, sure enough."

"Shame!" cried some of the girls standing near; "you are cruel, Ada."
But at that moment a slim hand touched Nellie's arm, and a merry voice
said soothingly, "Never mind her, Nellie; we all know she is not
responsible for