"Ah Kathleen--Kitty, you're just as incorrigible as ever!" cried Aneta:--"Girls, this is our Irish romp, as we always call her. Her name is Kathleen O'Donnell.--Now then, Kathleen, you must be good, you know, and not too terribly Irish. I have the honor to present to you, Kathleen, my cousins Cicely and Merry Cardew." Kathleen did more than smile. She laughed outright. "I am delighted you have come," she said. "How are you? Isn't school glorious? I do love it! I have come straight from Glengariff--the most beautiful part of the whole of Ireland. Do you know Ireland? Have you ever seen Bantry Bay? Oh, there is no country in all the world like it, and there is no scenery so magnificent." "Come, Kitty, not quite so much chatter," said Aneta.--"Ah, there's the tea-gong." The girls now followed Aneta into a pleasant room which looked out on to a small garden. The garden, compared to the great, sweeping lawns and lovely parterres of Meredith Manor, was insignificant. Nevertheless, with the French windows of the refectory wide open, and the beds full of hardy flowers--gay geraniums, late roses, innumerable asters, fuchsias, etc.--it appeared as a fresh surprise to the country girls. "It isn't like London," thought Merry. At tea she found herself, greatly to her relief, at Maggie's side. There was also another piece of good fortune--at least so it seemed to the Cardews, whose conversational French was still almost _nil_--Mademoiselle Laplage was unexpectedly absent, the good lady being forced to remain in her room with a sudden, overpowering headache, and pleasant, good-natured Lucy--otherwise Miss Johnson--took her place. "Perfect freedom to-day, girls," said Miss Johnson. "Ah, good Lucy! thank you, Lucy!" exclaimed Kathleen. "That's right, Lucy! Hurrah for Lucy!" cried several other voices. "No discipline at all to-day," continued Lucy. "School doesn't begin until to-morrow." Cicely was seated near Aneta, with Kathleen O'Donnell at her other side. Just for a minute Aneta's eyes traveled across the table and fixed themselves on Maggie's face. Maggie found herself coloring, and a resentful feeling awoke in her heart. She could not dare to oppose Aneta; and yet--and yet--she was determined at any cost to keep the love of Merry Cardew for herself. Meanwhile Merry, who was equally delighted to find herself by Maggie's side, began to talk to her in a low tone. "You don't look very well, Mags," she said--"not nearly as robust as when I saw you last; and you never wrote to me after that first letter." "I have a great deal I want to tell you," said Maggie in a low tone. "Lucy is quite right; there are no lessons of any sort this evening. Mrs. Ward always gives us the first evening to settle and to get perfectly at home in, so we shall be able to chatter to our heart's content. This is going to be a glorious night, and we can walk about in the garden." "But won't there be a lot of other people in the garden?" asked Merry.