n
never succeed in turning back the wheels of time so as to take up a
position as it would have been if the disturbing element had not
occurred. The holiday visit to the seaside would have been joy untold
_if_ Aunt Maria had never appeared and given her unwelcome invitation,
but now!--now a return to Seaview would be in the character of a truant
carrying within her heart the consciousness of failure and defeat. In
the moment's silence which followed Aunt Maria's startling announcement
the words of advice and exhortation spoken by her father passed one by
one through Darsie's brain.

"If you cannot have what you like, try to like what you have... Put
yourself now and then in your aunt's place.--A sacrifice grudgingly
performed is no sacrifice at all... What is worth doing at all, is
worth doing well."

Each word condemned her afresh; she stood as judge before the tribunal
of her own conscience, and the verdict was in every case the same.
Guilty! She had not tried; she had not imagined; everything that she
had done had been done with a grudge; the effort, the forbearance, the
courtesy, had been all on the other side... There fell upon her a panic
of shame and fear, a wild longing to begin again, and retrieve her
mistakes. She couldn't, she could _not_ be sent away and leave Aunt
Maria uncheered, unhelped, harassed rather than helped, as the result of
her visit.

"Oh, Aunt Maria," she cried breathlessly, "give me another chance!
Don't, don't send me away! I'm sorry, I'm ashamed, I've behaved
horribly, but, I _want_ to stay. Give me another chance, and let me
begin again! Honestly, truly, I'll be good, I'll do all that you
want..."

Lady Hayes stared at her earnestly. There was no mistaking the
sincerity of the eager voice, the wide, eloquent eyes, but the poor lady
was plainly puzzled as to what had wrought so speedy a change of front.
With her usual deliberation she waited for several moments before
replying, studying the girl's face with serious eyes.

"My dear, don't imagine that I am thinking of sending you back in
disgrace. Not at all. I will take all responsibility upon myself, and
explain to your parents that I have come to the conclusion that it would
be a mistake to prolong your visit. It has been very dull for you alone
with an old woman, and I am sure that though you have not always
succeeded, you have at least had the intention of making yourself
pleasant and agreeable."

"No!" Darsie sh