s world, because it isn't! Put the nursery governess
idea out of your mind, and fire ahead for Newnham. There's always the
chance of a scholarship, and even if that didn't come off, who can tell
what may happen in three years' time? The way may clear in a dozen
ways; it probably _will_ clear, if you get ready yourself. There are
precious few things one can't gain by steady slogging ahead."

Darsie looked at him with a kindling glance, her lips set, a spot of red
showed on either cheek.

"Right!" she said briefly, and at that moment the train steamed into the
station and the conference was at an end.

CHAPTER SEVEN.

AUNT MARIA'S CHOICE.

Aunt Maria arrived on Tuesday night, bringing "my woman" in attendance.
She was more like a parrot than ever, for her face had grown narrower,
her nose bigger, and the roundness of her eyes was accentuated by gold-
rimmed spectacles. When a richly coloured Paisley shawl was drawn
tightly over her sloping shoulders the resemblance was positively
startling to behold, and the terrors of an eight-weeks visit loomed
larger than ever before the minds of the Garnett sisters.

The extraordinary thing was that Aunt Maria seemed to take no notice of
the girls, whom, as everybody was aware, she had come to inspect. She
talked to father, she talked to mother, she cross-questioned the boys as
to their progress at school and expressed regret that they had not done
better; she displayed an intelligent interest in the neighbours, the
servants, and the new dining-room rug, but for the three daughters of
the house she had not a word, hardly, it was believed, a glance.

In the presence of such utter indifference it was impossible to keep up
the various roles which each girl had privately practised with the view
of concealing her charms and diverting Aunt Maria's attention from
herself. Clemence had decided that rounded shoulders and a lurching
gait were defects which at seventeen threatened a painful permanence,
and had therefore lurched persistently throughout the first evening,
since which time she had slowly but steadily recovered her natural gait.

After long practice before the mirror Darsie had decided that an open
mouth and falling under-jaw could work marvels in the way of stupidity
of expression, and had nerved herself to sit agape for the period of
forty-eight hours. Lavender had decided to sulk. "Every one hates
sulks! It would be better to live alone on a desert island th