"You would be quiet, too, if you had been beaten as Liane was by granny last night, and forced to seek refuge with a friend." Liane crimsoned painfully at having her own troubles discussed, but granny's faults were public property, and she could not deny the truth. "She is old and cross," she said, generously trying to offer some excuse. "You need not take up for her, Liane. She doesn't deserve it!" cried one and all, while Mary Lang, the oldest and most staid of the six girls, quickly offered to share her own room with Liane if she would never return to the old woman. She was an orphan, and rented a room with a widow, living cozily at what she called "room-keeping," and the girls had many jolly visits taking tea with Mary. Liane thanked her warmly for her offer. "But will you come?" asked Mary. "I cannot." "But why?" The girl sighed heavily as she explained: "Granny came to Mrs. Dorr's this morning, all penitence for her fault, and begged me to come home, promising never to beat me again." "Do not trust her; do not go!" cried they all; but it was useless. "She is old and poor. How could she get along without me? She would have to go to the poorhouse, and think how cruelly that would disgrace me!" cried Liane, who had no love for the old wretch, but supported her through mingled pride and pity. And she actually returned to the shanty that day when her work was done, much to the relief of the old woman, who feared she had driven her meek slave off forever. "So you are back? That's a good girl!" she said approvingly, and added: "They may tell you, those foolish girls, that I am too strict with you, Liane, but I'm an old woman, and I know what's best for you, girl. It was through letting your mother have her own way that she went to her ruin; that's why I'm so strict on you." "My mother went to her--ruin!" faltered Liane, flushing crimson, but very curious, for she had never been able to extract a word from granny about her parents, except that they were both dead and had been no credit to her while living. "Yes, her ruin," granny replied, with a malicious side glance at the startled girl. "She ran away from me to be an actress when she wasn't but seventeen, and a year later she came back to me with a baby in her arms--you! She had been deceived and deserted, and you, poor thing, had no lawful name but the one she had picked out of a book--Liane Lester." "Oh, Heaven!" sobbed the girl, burying her white face in her hands, thinking that this blow was more cruel even than one of the old woman's beatings. At heart Liane had a strange pride, and she was bitterly ashamed of her low origin and her cruel grandmother, whom no one respected because of her vile temper. To be told now that she had no lawful name, that her mother had been deceived and deserted, was like a sword thrust in the poor girl's heart. She sobbed bitterly, as granny added: