"I hope Mrs. Howell will be in," she said to herself, as she entered the white gates, and walled up the beautifully kept drive, "and I almost hope that Lily will be _out_," she added; for upon the only occasion she and Lily had met since the unhappy affair at school, the latter had passed Monica with no attempt at recognition, beyond an ugly scowl. At the time (it was before she went to Sandyshore) Monica had felt very much inclined to return the scowl with interest, except that she considered Lily utterly beneath contempt. But lately she had had very different feelings towards her would-be injurer, and it was chiefly on her account that she was so anxious to pay her mother a visit. Mrs. Howell being at home, Monica was ushered into a huge and magnificently furnished drawing-room, decorated lavishly with plush hangings, of decidedly gay hues, and was warmly welcomed by her hostess, who was delighted to see her. A quarter of an hour passed pleasantly in chatting over the sprained ankle, long since well, and the holiday she had enjoyed so much, and then Monica broached the subject uppermost in her mind. "Mrs. Howell," she began diffidently, for she was not quite sure how her proposal would be received, "did Lily tell you _all_ about the examination affair?" "Well, my dear, by degrees we got to know the rights of it, though she would not tell us till her pa threatened to punish her, if she didn’t speak out. He was in a great taking when the notice came that she wasn’t to go back no more, and he packed her off to stay with his step-sister, a very strict woman, and poor Lily has had a very rough time of it. She only came back yesterday, and wouldn’t have done then, only for her aunt being took ill; for it was her pa’s intention to let her bide there some months. Now he talks of sendin’ her to boardin’-school, but where to he hasn’t no idea. All our plans for her schoolin’ was upset-like, you see, my dear, by that notice, and her pa was terrible annoyed to think it all came about through her trying to do you a bad turn. For, to tell the truth, my dear," Mrs. Howell rambled on garrulously, "he thinks a sight of you, does Bob. He would have wrote to apologise, but he couldn’t get Lily to say she was sorry, nohow. Oh! dear me, what trouble that girl has caused us, and ’twill be far worse when she comes ’ome from boardin’-school." And the poor woman whimpered distressingly. "Don’t cry, dear Mrs. Howell," said Monica gently; "perhaps she won’t have to go away to school at all. Would you like her to go back to the High School if she could? Do you think she would go?" "Oh, my dear, there’s no chance!" was the dismal reply, as Mrs. Howell wiped her florid face with a tiny muslin handkerchief; "they wouldn’t take her back now. I only wish they would. I know Lily would be delighted really, although she’s said times and times that she’d rather die than ever go there again."