utter indifference until they met, were now active. She was amazed to
find within herself a power of disliking certain of her fellow-creatures
which she never thought she could have possessed. She was not a girl to
make violent friendships, but she did not know that she could dislike so
heartily. She hated Rosamund with a goodly hatred, but now that hatred
was extended to Irene. Why should Irene be so pretty and yet so naughty,
so lovable and yet so detestable? For very soon the peculiar little girl
began to exercise a certain power over more than one other girl in the
school; and except that she kept herself a good deal apart, and absorbed
little Agnes Frost altogether, for the first week she certainly did
nothing that any one could complain of. Then she was not only remarkable
for her beauty, which must arrest the attention of everybody, but she
was also undeniably clever. Laura Everett was greatly taken with her, so
was Annie Millar, so was Phyllis Flower, and so was Agnes Sparkes.
Rosamund assumed the position of a calm and careful guardian angel over
both Irene and little Agnes. She had a talk with both Mrs. Merriman and
the Professor, and also with Miss Frost, on the day after their arrival.

"I will promise to be all that you want me to be if you will allow me to
have a certain power over Irene and over little Agnes Frost, a power
which will be felt rather than seen. I want little Agnes to sit next to
Irene at meals; and I want this not for Agnes' sake--for she is such a
dear little girl that she would make friends wherever she was
placed--but for Irene's sake, for I don't want her to become jealous. At
present she has a hard task in conquering herself, and my earnest desire
is to help her all I can."

"I know that, dear," said Professor Merriman; and he looked with kind
eyes at the fine, brave girl who stood upright before him.

Mrs. Merriman and Miss Frost also agreed to Rosamund's suggestion, and
in consequence there was a certain amount of peace in the school. This
peace might have gone on, and things might have proved eminently
satisfactory, had it not been for Lucy herself. But Lucy could now
scarcely contain her feelings. Rosamund exceeded her in power of
acquiring knowledge; she excelled her in grace and beauty. And now there
was Rosamund's friend, a much younger girl, who in some ways was already
Lucy's superior; for Irene had a talent for music that amounted to
genius, whereas Lucy's music was inclined