"It is so nice to be in London," she said; "but somehow, I thought it would be much more noisy." Aneta laughed. "Aylmer House," she said, "stands in the midst of a great square. We don't have huge traffic in the squares; and, really, at night it is as quiet as the country itself." "But hark! hark!" said Merry, "there is a funny sound after all." "What do you take it for?" asked Aneta. "I don't know," said Merry. "I could almost imagine that we were by the seaside, and that the sound was the roar of the breakers on the beach." "It is the roar of human breakers," said Aneta. "One always hears that kind of sound even in the quietest parts of London. It is the great traffic in the thoroughfares not far away." "It is delightful! wonderful!" said Merry. "Oh, I long to know all the girls! You will introduce us, won't you, Aneta?" "Of course; and you must be very quick remembering names. Let me see. You two, and Molly and Isabel, and Maggie Howland, and I make six. There are twenty girls in the house altogether, so you have to make the acquaintance of fourteen others." "I never can possibly remember their names," said Merry. "You will have to try. That's the first thing expected of a schoolgirl--to know the names of her schoolfellows." "Well, I will do my best." "You had better do your best; it will be a good occupation for you during this first evening. Now, are you ready? And shall we go down? We have tea in the refectory at four o'clock. Mademoiselle Laplage presides over the tea-table this week." "Oh, but does she talk English?" "Of course not--French. How can you learn French if you don't talk it?" "I shall never understand," said poor Merry. "Well, I've no doubt she will let you off very easily during the first few days," said Aneta. "But afterwards she is just as particular as woman can be." The girls went downstairs, where a group of other girls--most of them wearing pretty white dresses, for they were all still in full summer attire--met in the wide, pleasant hall. Aneta performed the ceremony of introduction. "Henrietta and Mary Gibson, may I introduce my special friends and cousins, Cicely and Meredith--otherwise Merry--Cardew?" Two tall, fair, lady-like girls responded to this introduction with a hearty shake of the hand and a hearty welcome to the new-comers. "Here is Rosamond Dacre," continued Aneta, as a very dark, somewhat plain girl appeared in view.--"Rosamond, my friends and cousins, Cicely and Merry Cardew." Rosamond shook hands, but stiffly and without any smile. The next minute a laughing, merry, handsome little girl, with dark-blue eyes, very dark curling eyelashes, and quantities of curling black hair, tumbled rather than walked into view.