had
been punished like that?"

Eleanor laughed too. "I must say that I wasn't thinking of you at the
moment," she said; "to forget other people's feelings was always a trick
of mine, as you know; however, I really am reforming fast. By the way,
have you seen anything of the Danvers since you left them?"

"I saw Hilary in the town, and she stopped to speak to me. She is
reforming, too," Margaret added, with another smile. "I seem to be having
quite an improving effect upon other people's characters. She told me
that one reason why she took such a dislike to me was because she was
afraid that I would accept her sister's offer to go out to Los Angelos
with her in the spring as her governess, and that she had been jealous of
me because she wanted to go herself. But the funny part is," continued
Margaret, "that now she no longer wants to go either; her latest idea is
to go to Girton, and she is going to read hard with a tutor at home all
this winter so that she can pass the necessary examinations in the
spring."

"And a very good thing for her too," said Eleanor; "if she had had more
to occupy herself with this summer, she wouldn't have busied herself so
disastrously with our affairs. I am afraid she made you very unhappy
while you were there, and I, like a selfish oyster, sat tight here and
kept you out of your rightful place."

"I am very glad you did," said Margaret earnestly, "or perhaps I might
never have gone to live with Aunt Helen."

"You mean, you think that Mrs. Murray would never have given you up
to her," said Eleanor with twinkling eyes. "You need not be afraid,
Margaret, Mrs. Murray likes me much better than she would have ever liked
you; she as good as told me so."

"And Aunt Helen likes me best," retorted Margaret.

"All's well that end's well, then," said Eleanor laughing; "though, mind
you, I must candidly confess that I don't believe that that is a very
moral reflection to apply to the end of our conspiracy. However, as we
have been forgiven all round, and as we really did no one any harm, we
need not be very severe on ourselves.

"But don't forget, Margaret, that I was your first friend; the first
girl, with the exception of your dream-friend Eleanor, that you ever
spoke to. And you will write to me regularly, won't you, dear?"

"Oh yes, I will write," Margaret answered, smiling a little wistfully;
"but I do not believe you will answer many of my letters. You will be so
full of your own interes