rancine rattled on. "Has she all the virtues, and none of
the vices? Is she not too good-looking, and has she no male followers?
In one terrible word--will she satisfy Miss Ladd?"

"What has Miss Ladd to do with it?"

"How stupid you are, Emily! Do put the woman's card down on the table,
and listen to me. Haven't I told you that one of my masters has declined
to have anything more to do with me? Doesn't that help you to understand
how I get on with the rest of them? I am no longer Miss Ladd's pupil,
my dear. Thanks to my laziness and my temper, I am to be raised to the
dignity of 'a parlor boarder.' In other words, I am to be a young lady
who patronizes the school; with a room of my own, and a servant of my
own. All provided for by a private arrangement between my father and
Miss Ladd, before I left the West Indies. My mother was at the bottom of
it, I have not the least doubt. You don't appear to understand me."

"I don't, indeed!"

Francine considered a little. "Perhaps they were fond of you at home,"
she suggested.

"Say they loved me, Francine--and I loved them."

"Ah, my position is just the reverse of yours. Now they have got rid of
me, they don't want me back again at home. I know as well what my mother
said to my father, as if I had heard her. 'Francine will never get on
at school, at her age. Try her, by all means; but make some other
arrangement with Miss Ladd in case of a failure--or she will be returned
on our hands like a bad shilling.' There is my mother, my anxious,
affectionate mother, hit off to a T."

"She _is_ your mother, Francine; don't forget that."

"Oh, no; I won't forget it. My cat is my kitten's mother--there! there!
I won't shock your sensibilities. Let us get back to matter of fact.
When I begin my new life, Miss Ladd makes one condition. My maid is to
be a model of discretion--an elderly woman, not a skittish young person
who will only encourage me. I must submit to the elderly woman, or
I shall be sent back to the West Indies after all. How long did Mrs.
Ellmother live with your aunt?"

"Twenty-five years, and more.'

"Good heavens, it's a lifetime! Why isn't this amazing creature living
with you, now your aunt is dead? Did you send her away?"

"Certainly not."

"Then why did she go?"

"I don't know."

"Do you mean that she went away without a word of explanation?"

"Yes; that is exactly what I mean."

"When did she go? As soon as your aunt was dead?"

"That doesn't ma