The carriage had been sent to meet them at the station. And as they drove up, she thought how much she should enjoy all this luxury. But on arriving at her uncle's house, the thought of the other brown dress in her box made her feel uncomfortable at once, and she wondered how she would look going up and down that broad staircase, perpetually wearing brown dresses. The thought that she "might" be treated as a poor relation made her draw herself up and assume an air of haughtiness, so that her aunt was not altogether to blame for the coolness of the welcome she received. It was not in the elder Mrs. Randolph's nature to be affectionate, even to her own children. She was proud of her elder daughter, and just now fully occupied in efforts to secure her an entrance into the best society in the county, and make her a social success. By and by, when Isabel was old enough, she would be quite as willing to do the same for her younger daughter, but meanwhile Isabel was left very much to her own devices and the care of the various masters who had taken the place of a governess in directing her studies. That she could want more than this—facilities for following her sister's example in making herself an ornament to society—never entered her mother's head. "Isabel's turn will come by and by," she said sometimes when reminded of her younger daughter's wants or wishes. And so it was scarcely to be expected that she would accord a very warm welcome to a niece she had scarcely seen before. Isabel was too shy and Mabel's manner much too haughty for their greeting to be very warm. But Isabel had heard from her father about her aunt and cousin, and how eager Mabel was to make her life useful instead of merely ornamental—how she had tried to help the poor by visiting them, and teaching in a Sunday-school, all which news had given gentle, timid Isabel a very exalted idea of her cousin. And so far from resenting her rather haughty demeanour, she wished she could behave with such coolness and dignity, and not feel such a strong wish to throw her arms round everybody's neck who was at all kind to her. She took her cousin to her room, which was near her own. And Mabel instantly saw that loving hands had prepared a welcome for her here, although her reception had been so cold down-stairs. A bright little fire was burning in the grate, a cosy low chair was drawn up to it, with a table on which stood a vase of choice flowers. "Oh, how sweet!" exclaimed Mabel, bending over them, and forgetting all her dignified stiffness. "You like flowers. I am glad of that," said Isabel timidly.