lso absorbed in the contents of her book; when the soft
swish-swish of garments was heard coming along the passage, and the
door opened to admit a fair, stately lady, whose silken robe fell in
graceful folds to her feet, and whose arms, neck, and hair glittered
with sparkling jewels. She was followed by two younger ladies, as
richly but more youthfully dressed; and as they entered the room a
delicious perfume distilled itself and wafted all around the sweetest
fragrance.

"Mamma!" cried Winnie, springing up and gazing admiringly on the
beautiful figure before her; "how pretty you look! Are you going out
to-night again, and Clare and Edith also?"

"Yes, dear," replied Mrs. Blake in a softly-modulated voice; "we are
all going to the opera, and the carriage is already at the door. I
wished to know, however, why Dick was so late in getting home this
afternoon, and so looked in on you as I was passing."

Dick, who had barely glanced up at his stepmother's entrance, and then
continued reading, now knit his brow in an angry frown, and seemed
unwilling to answer; while Clare, the elder of the two young ladies,
laughed carelessly as she said, "Our invasion for that purpose was
hardly necessary, I fancy. It is simply the old story over
again--badly-prepared lessons."

"You're about right there," replied the boy sullenly, never raising his
eyes from the volume before him. "What else could you expect of the
dunce?" and a bitter sneer curled the corners of his lips as he spoke,
while Winnie's warm little heart was all aglow with love and sympathy.

Mrs. Blake's face assumed an expression of peevish distress. "I am
sure, Dick," she began plaintively, "I do not know what the end of all
this will be. Your father is perfectly disgusted at your indolence and
ashamed of your stupidity." The boy's eyes flashed. "Yes, it is quite
true. I am tired listening to his continual complaints;" and the lady
drew her fleecy wrap round her with an injured air.

"O mamma," interrupted Winnie eagerly, "you are wronging Dick. He may
not be so clever as Algy and Tom, but he is such a dear, good boy, and
does try ever so hard to learn his lessons. He does indeed; and I
should know best, when I study beside him every night."

"That's enough, Win," answered her brother doggedly. "I don't care
what they believe;" and the boy, drawing his chair closer to the fire,
gazed angrily into the burning embers.

"What a respectful speech, and what