ad been the fit setting to those old-world
plays; while she appreciated, without being conscious of the
appreciation, every scenic item--the double stage, the attendant chorus,
the classic dress, that had awakened Miss Vanhansen's ridicule, from the
sandal on the foot to the toque on the head--all which could lend
verisimilitude to the spectacle. For the benefit of happy May, Alcestis
lived again in modern St. Ambrose's. Once more she suffered and died
willingly in the room of Admetus; once more the miserable husband's
half-heroic, half-savage ally, Harakles, fought Death for his pale prey,
and brought back the sacrificed wife from Hades, to restore her--a
figure veiled and motionless, yet instinct with glad life, every vein
throbbing with love and thankfulness--to the arms of her husband, more
joyful, and at the same time, in the middle of his joy, more full of
yearning sorrow and self-abasement than ever was happy bridegroom.

On the day after the play, Miss Lascelles casually mentioned to May that
even if she went in for the coming examination, she, Miss Lascelles,
thought May had better not try for the Markham scholarship.

"But I must, Miss Lascelles," protested May, starting up as if she
were awakening from a dream, and opening great eyes of distress and
apprehension--feelings which were only at that moment called into
life. "My father would be so vexed and disappointed if I did not."

"If you will take my advice, my dear, you will wait till next year;
there will be another scholarship falling in then. Very many of the
Thirlwall Hall girls do much better the second year than they have done
the first," Miss Lascelles continued to warn her girl-graduate, with the
delicate consideration and tact which qualified the lady principal for
her office. "It is bad policy to enter hastily into a competition with
failure staring you in the face. It will only serve to dishearten you,
and to mislead people with regard to what I am now certain--I can
honestly congratulate you on my conviction--are your really exceptional
gifts. You will do Thirlwall Hall credit, and we shall all be proud of
you, if you will have patience. You are very young; you can afford to
wait. It is a common occurrence for clever, studious girls, and lads
too, to come up to St. Ambrose's from the country, from private schools
or home-teaching, who are not sufficiently exact in their scholarship,
and do nothing beyond remedying the defect in their first or e