Meanwhile Mabel, surrounded by glory--her schoolfellows and the different visitors who had come to the school for the occasion crowding round her and congratulating her--had no longer any feeling of remorse. She acknowledged that Annie was right, and loved Annie, for the time being, with all her heart. It was Annie herself who took the telegram to the post-office to convey the great information to Lady Lushington. It was Annie herself who was the happy recipient of the reply which came later on that evening. The words of Lady Lushington's telegram were brief: "Congratulation. True to my word. Join me in Paris on Friday. Writing to Mrs Lyttelton." The three girls with whom this story first opened were together once more in the private sitting-room at Lyttelton School. When Mabel had read her telegram she flung it across to Priscilla. "Then all is well," she said; "and we owe it to Annie." "Yes," said Priscilla. "And I have had a telegram," she added, "an hour ago. It is from Uncle Josiah. He wishes me to remain with Mrs Lyttelton daring the vacation. He doesn't care that I should return home at present." "Well, that will suit you exactly, won't it?" said Annie. "I suppose so. I only wonder what Mrs Lyttelton will say." "And I am going to my uncle. We all break up to-morrow; but you and I shall meet again in the autumn, Priscilla. You will have to say good-bye to dear old Mabel now." "You must wish me luck," said Mabel. "I won't forget my part; you need have no anxiety about your school fees." "Uncle Josiah seems pleased on the whole that I should remain," answered Priscilla, "although I cannot make out the wording of his telegram; but I do wonder what arrangement he will make for paying Mrs Lyttelton." "If he cannot pay her you ought to go back," said Annie, who did not at all wish to have this additional expense laid at Mabel's door. She wished as much as possible of Mabel's money should be devoted to herself. "But I suppose you will hear in the morning." "Yes; I suppose so," said Priscilla. "You look pretty miserable, Priscie. I wonder why, seeing all that Mabel and I have done for you." "All that _I_ have done for _you_, you mean," said Priscilla. "Well, I like that," said Annie. "I will speak out for once," said Priscilla, her eyes flashing fire and her pale face becoming suffused with colour. "I have gone under, and I hate myself. The hour of triumph to-day ought to have been mine. Don't you suppose that I feel it? I loathe myself so deeply that I don't think I am even a good enough girl to help my aunt in the house-work at home; and I pity the village dressmaker who would have me apprenticed to her. I am so bad that I loathe myself. Oh, you think that I shall be happy. You don't know me; I can never be happy again!" Mabel's face immediately became pale. She looked at Priscilla as though she were going to cry. It was Annie who took the bull by the horns.