Produced by Robert Cicconetti, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by the Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions (www.canadiana.org)) A TRUE FRIEND. A NOVEL. BY ADELINE SERGEANT _Author of "The Luck of the House," "A Life Sentence," etc., etc._ MONTREAL: JOHN LOVELL & SON, 23 ST. NICHOLAS STREET. CONTENTS I. AN UNSUITABLE FRIENDSHIP II. LADY CAROLINE'S TACTICS III. AT HELMSLEY COURT IV. ON THE ROAD. V. WYVIS BRAND VI. JANETTA AT HOME VII. NORA'S NEW ACQUAINTANCE VIII. FATHER AND CHILD IX. CONSULTATION X. MARGARET XI. JANETTA'S PROMISES XII. JANETTA REMONSTRATES XIII. SHADOWS XIV. JANETTA'S FAILURE XV. A BONE OF CONTENTION XVI. SIR PHILIP'S OPINION XVII. MARGARET'S FRIENDSHIP XVIII. A NEW FRIEND XIX. NORA'S PROCEEDINGS XX. AN ELDER BROTHER XXI. CUTHBERT'S ROMANCE XXII. WYVIS BRAND'S IDEAL XXIII. FORGET-ME-NOTS XXIV. LADY ASHLEY'S GARDEN PARTY XXV. SIR PHILIP'S DECISION XXVI. "FREE!" XXVII. A BIG BRIBE XXVIII. "CHANGES MUST COME." XXIX. MARGARET'S CONFESSION XXX. IN REBELLION XXXI. THE PLOUGHMAN'S SON XXXII. THE FAILURE OF MARGARET XXXIII. RETROSPECT XXXIV. FROM DISTANT LANDS XXXV. JULIET XXXVI. THE FRUITS OF A LIE XXXVII. NIGHT XXXVIII. THE LAST SCENE XXXIX. MAKING AMENDS XL. MY FAITHFUL JANET A TRUE FRIEND CHAPTER I. AN UNSUITABLE FRIENDSHIP. Janetta was the music governess--a brown little thing of no particular importance, and Margaret Adair was a beauty and an heiress, and the only daughter of people who thought themselves very distinguished indeed; so that the two had not, you might think, very much in common, and were not likely to be attracted one to the other. Yet, in spite of differing circumstances, they were close friends and allies; and had been such ever since they were together at the same fashionable school where Miss Adair was the petted favorite of all, and Janetta Colwyn was the pupil-teacher in the shabbiest of frocks, who got all the snubbing and did most of the hard work. And great offence was given in several directions by Miss Adair's attachment to poor little Janetta. "It is an unsuitable friendship," Miss Polehampton, the principal of the school, observed on more than one occasion, "and I am sure I do not know how Lady Caroline will like it." Lady Caroline was, of course, Margaret Adair's mamma.