[Illustration: MARGARET MONTFORT.] MARGARET MONTFORT BY LAURA E. RICHARDS AUTHOR Of "CAPTAIN JANUARY," "MELODY," "QUEEN HILDEGARDE," ETC. Illustrated by ETHELDRED B. BARRY [Illustration] BOSTON DANA ESTES & COMPANY PUBLISHERS _Copyright, 1898_ BY DANA ESTES & COMPANY Colonial Press Electrotyped and Printed by C. H. Simonds & Co. Boston, U.S.A. CONTENTS. CHAPTER PAGE I. PRESENT AND ABSENT 11 II. DOMESTIC 25 III. THE UNEXPECTED 44 IV. THE TRIALS OF MARGARET 61 V. A NEW TYPE 77 VI. A LESSON IN GEOGRAPHY 96 VII. THE DAUNTLESS THREE 114 VIII. THE FIRST CONQUEST 129 IX. A NEWCOMER 145 X. "I MUST HELP MYSELF" 164 XI. THE SECOND CONQUEST 179 XII. THE VOICE OF FERNLEY 195 XIII. WHO DID IT? 212 XIV. BLACK SPIRITS AND WHITE 231 XV. A DEPARTURE 249 XVI. PEACE 264 ILLUSTRATIONS. PAGE MARGARET MONTFORT _Frontispiece_ "AFTERWARDS SHE SALLIED OUT INTO THE GARDEN" 63 "'DID YOU BRING A BOOK TO READ TO ME, LITTLE GIRL?'" 84 "THE LITTLE GIRL HAD NEVER STIRRED, BUT STOOD GAZING UP AT THE BIG MAN WHO HELD HER HANDS" 120 "MERTON WAS TEASING CHIQUITO" 153 "'WON'T YOU COME IN?'" 175 A LIVELY GHOST 247 "THE 'FLAIL OF THE DESERT'" 268 MARGARET MONTFORT. CHAPTER I. PRESENT AND ABSENT. "It shall be exactly as you please, my dear!" said Mr. Montfort. "I have no wish in the matter, save to fulfil yours. I had thought it would be pleasanter, perhaps, to have the rooms occupied; but your feeling is most natural, and there is no reason why you should not keep your present room." "Thank you, uncle!" said the girl whom he addressed as Margaret, and whom some of my readers may have met before. "It is not that I don't love the dear rooms, nor that it would not be a joy to be in them, for some reasons; but,--I think, just to go and sit there every day, alone or with you, and think about her,--it seems as if that would be easier just now, dear uncle. You always understand, Uncle John!"