CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. HOW IT BEGAN TO OPEN 15 II. THE WINNER OF THE TORCH RACE 25 III. AN ADVENTURE WITH LITTLE WOMEN 45 IV. A LOOKING-GLASS VISIT 61 V. A TOURNAMENT AND A RESCUE WITH ROWENA 83 VI. AFTERNOON TEA IN CRANFORD 107 VII. A LETTER FROM LORNA 125 VIII. LITTLE MAID MARIAN 145 IX. THE ADVENTURE IN GUINEVERE’S CASTLE 163 X. IN THE HIELANDS WITH DI VERNON 185 XI. A SUMMER DAY WITH RAMONA 203 XII. ROMOLA AND THE FLORENTINE BOY 221 XIII. LITTLE NELL AND THE BUN-SHOP 239 XIV. EVANGELINE AND THE BIG BEAR 255 XV. THE LITTLE QUAKER-CITY MAID 273 ILLUSTRATIONS A demure little crowd they were, standing primly, hand in hand _Frontispiece_ PAGE Sappho passed her without a glance 28 They finally reached the cottage 48 “You see,” they both remarked confidentially, “we knew Alice, so of course we had to choose you” 64 “Room for the Lady Rowena, the Lady Rose, the Lady Ruth, and the noble Thane Cedric” 86 For there was Peter on the doctor’s horse, with Ruth mounted behind him 110 “Hush, Lorna. No one shall hurt them. But they must go from here at once. Two of my boys are saddling now” 128 “Greeting, sweet maid,” he said to Marian 148 The youth, dismounting, walked slowly toward Guinevere 166 “Rob Roy is frae the Hielands come, Down to the Lowland border” 188 The other, slender, youthful, in white, must be Ramona 206 “Father, here are the two friends I told you of,” said Romola 224 “Ladies,” said Dick Swiveller, “I will accept your kind, nay, your princely offer. Let us drink confusion in this tea—confusion to dire destiny” 242 So Gabriel climbed in between Ruth and Evangeline, and the little party hastened on toward the cape 258 GIRLS IN BOOKLAND CHAPTER I HOW IT BEGAN TO OPEN