"You see," she said, in her practical way, addressing no one in particular, but looking at Phillis, "it has been terribly against us, having no one belonging to us of the same name; and it will really give us a standing with some sort of people." "Fie, Nan! what a worldly speech! You are thinking of that tiresome Mayne _pere_ again." "I have to think of him," returned Nan, not at all put out by this. "Dick's father must be a person of great importance to me. He has often hinted in my hearing that we have no relations, and that the Challoner name will die out. I expect he will be rather taken aback at Harry's appearance." "Yes; and Dick will be jealous: he always is of other fellows, as he calls them. You must score that up against Dick, please. Well, I won't deny that Harry may make himself useful there: all I protest against is the idea that he will bundle us out of this dear old Friary, and make us grand, in spite of ourselves." "Dear old Friary!--Oh, oh!" gasped Dulce; and even Nan looked mildly surprised. "He will not make me give up my work until I choose," continued Phillis, who was in an obstinate mood. "It is not make-believe play-work, I can tell him that;" but Mrs. Challoner grew tearful at this. "Phillis, my dear, pray hush! Indeed--indeed I cannot have you talking as though you meant and wished to be a dressmaker all your life." And when Phillis asked, "Why not?" just for the sake of argument,--for in her heart she was growing heartily sick of her employment,--her mother threw up her hands in despair: "Oh, my dear Miss Drummond, do not believe her: Phillis is a good girl; but she is always like that,--hard to be convinced. She does not really mean it. She has worked harder than any of them; but she has only done it for her mother's sake." "Of course she does not mean it," echoed Nan, affectionately, and much struck by a sudden yearning look on Phillis's face,--an expression of smothered pain; but Phillis drew away from her sister's gentle grasp. "I do mean it!" she said, almost passionately. "I am dreadfully tired of the work sometimes, and hate it. Oh, how I hate it! But I think I have been happy, too. I liked the excitement of the fighting, and the novelty of the thing; it was such fun,--first shocking people, and then winning them over in spite of themselves. One felt 'plucky,' as Harry said. And then one's friends were so real." And her eyes fell unconsciously on Mattie. "Oh, yes," returned Mattie, with her usual gush: "Archie and I took to you from the first. I must say I was surprised, knowing how fastidious Archie was, and his notions about young ladies in general. But, dear, he never would hear a word against you: he was even angry with Colonel Middleton the other day because--but there! I ought not to have told you that."