"Lady Lysle!" exclaimed Molly in a tone of astonishment. "Why, she is Mrs. Cardew's greatest friend. Do you mean to say you were introduced to her?" "Yes, Mrs. Cardew was kind enough to do so, though I am sure I didn't want it at all." "But I can't imagine why she did it," said Molly in a tone of astonishment. "Mrs. Cardew never introduces either of us to the grown-up people." "Well, her ostensible reason," said Maggie, "was that Lady Lysle knows my mother." "Does she, indeed?" said Isabel in a tone of great respect. "But that doesn't make me like her any the better," said Maggie. "And now I will tell you why, girls, only you must faithfully promise you won't repeat it to any one." "Of course not," said the girls eagerly, who were accustomed to receive secrets from their schoolfellows, though Maggie, as a rule, never gave her secrets to anyone. "Well, I will tell you," said Maggie, the color flushing into her face and then leaving it pale again. "Aneta Lysle is one of the girls at Aylmer House. She is Lady Lysle's niece; and--well--you know I am tolerant enough, but I can't bear Aneta Lysle." Molly and Isabel were silent for a minute. "If _you_ can't bear her," said Isabel, "then I don't suppose we'll like her either when we go to the school." "Oh yes, you will; you'll adore her--sure to. Now promise once again that you will never repeat this." "We certainly will not," said Molly. Isabel nodded emphatically. "We don't tell secrets," she said. Then she added, "We had best go downstairs now, if you're quite tidy, Mags." During supper that night Mrs. Cardew, who found herself seated near her favorite rector, began to ply him with questions with regard to Aylmer House. How had he heard of it, and why had he specially fixed on that establishment for his daughters? The rector smiled. He had twinkling dark eyes, and they now looked down the long table until they rested for a brief moment on Maggie's young figure. She was talking to Mr. Cardew, who, stately and reserved as he was, took her remarks with good-natured tolerance. "A nice, unaffected child," he kept saying to himself, and neither did he remark how plain she was. "That young person yonder," said Mr. Tristram to Mrs. Cardew, "is the influence that has induced me to make arrangements for my girls at Aylmer House." "Miss Howland! You don't mean to say that you are influenced by a schoolgirl?"