"Is every window open?" asked the girl, sitting up with a wild look in her eyes. "No, I'll open them all quite wide. There! now you can see a lot of the sky can't you?" "Yes, that's better," said Meg, lying down again. "I think you are tired," said Sheila, "so I'll go away. Try and go to sleep, Meg, and dream of to-morrow. I feel so excited about it that I don't believe I can sleep a wink. Good-night, dear." Sheila bent down to kiss her. It was the first kiss that Meg had ever received in her life. It suddenly dawned upon her in a flash that her loneliness was passed. Why should she cry? She had found a friend. CHAPTER VIII THE DRESSING UP OF MEG THE dressing up of Meg was a business entirely after Sheila's heart. She brought out all her pretty gowns and held them up in front of her protégé to try their effect. It was not difficult to suit her. As dress after dress was tried on, Sheila exclaimed in astonishment at the extraordinary difference they made in the girl's appearance. As far as looks went she was satisfactory. She was delighted too at the admiration which her pretty clothes excited in her protégé. "My!" Meg would cry. "Ain't that just lovely!" The tone of voice and the words spoken were so incongruous with the dress and whole appearance of the speaker that it was all that Sheila could do to keep her countenance. Her great aim however at present, was to make her feel at home in her new surroundings, and to avoid frightening her, so that expressions which were decidedly startling were allowed to pass without comment; and with the optimism of youth Sheila felt sure that she could in time cure Meg of all her dreadful colloquialism if she devoted herself to her with this aim in view. Meg was quite unconscious of the extraordinary effect her language, combined with pretty clothes, produced on her companion. She was beginning to feel at home with her, and talked as naturally as she would have talked with Jem. It never struck her that different clothing to that which she had been used, would necessitate a change of vocabulary on her part, meaning great difficulty and an immense amount of perseverance. Had she at this time realized what it would entail she would have escaped at her first opportunity from Friars Court. Her love of absolute freedom would have impelled this action on her part. It was altogether an easier matter to improve her appearance than her voice and grammar. For the girl had a charming figure, upright and lithesome. Her movements were free and graceful. She swept about in Sheila's long evening dresses as they were tried on one after the other, laughing merrily as she caught sight of herself in the pier-glass. When she laughed, her companion thought her lovely; her expression was full of childish glee. Few people could boast moreover of such glorious hair, and Elsie wound it round her head in such a becoming way that the effect astonished its possessor.