Meade L. T. - A World of Girls: The Story of a School стр 26.

Hester would not allow herself, however, to feel any tenderness toward Annie. Of course she was not really a bit like sweet little Nan, and it was absurd to suppose that a great girl like Annie could want caressing and petting and soothing; still, in spite of herself, Annies look haunted her, and she took great care of the little flower-offering, and presented it with Annies message instantly on her arrival to the little old ladies.

Miss Jane and Miss Agnes were very much pleased with the early primroses. They looked at one another and said

Poor dear little girl, in tender voices, and then they put the flowers into one of their daintiest vases, and made much of them, and showed them to any visitors who happened to call that afternoon.

Their little house looked something like a dolls house to Hester, who had been accustomed all her life to large rooms and spacious passages; but it was the sweetest, daintiest, and most charming little abode in the world. It was not unlike a nest, and the Misses Bruce in certain ways resembled bright little robin redbreasts, so small, so neat, so chirrupy they were.

Hester enjoyed her afternoon immensely; the little ladies were right in their prophecy, and she was no longer lonely at school. She enjoyed talking about her school-fellows, about her new life, about her studies. The Misses Bruce were decidedly fond of a gossip, but something which she could not at all define in their manner prevented Hester from retailing for their benefit any unkind news. They told her frankly at last that they were only interested in the good things which went on in the school, and that they found no pursuit so altogether delightful as finding out the best points in all the people they came across. They would not even laugh at sleepy, tiresome Susan Drummond; on the contrary, they pitied her, and Miss Jane wondered if the girl could be quite well, whereupon Miss Agnes shook her head, and said emphatically that it was Hesters duty to rouse poor Susy, and to make her waking life so interesting to her that she should no longer care to spend so many hours in the world of dreams.

There is such a thing as being so kind-hearted, so gentle, so charitable as to make the people who have not encouraged these virtues feel quite uncomfortable. By the mere force of contrast they begin to see themselves something as they really are. Since Hester had come to Lavender House she had taken very little pains to please others rather than herself, and she was now almost startled to see how she had allowed selfishness to get the better of her. While the Misses Bruce were speaking, old longings, which had slept since her mothers death, came back to the young girl, and she began to wish that she could be kinder to Susan Drummond, and that she could overcome her dislike to Annie Forest. She longed to say something about Annie to the little ladies, but they evidently did not wish to allude to the subject. When she was going away, they gave her a small parcel.

You will kindly give this to your schoolfellow, Miss Forest, Hester dear, they both said, and then they kissed her, and said they hoped they should see her again: and Hester got into the old-fashioned school brougham, and held the brown-paper parcel in her hand.

As she was going into the chapel that night, Mary Bell came up to her and whispered

We have not got to the bottom of that mystery about Annie Forest yet. Mrs Willis can evidently make nothing of her, and I believe Mr Everard is going to talk to her after prayers to-night.

As she was speaking, Annie herself pushed rather rudely past the two girls; her face was flushed, and her hair was even more untidy than was its wont.

Here is a parcel for you, Miss Forest, said Hester, in a much more gentle tone than she was wont to use when she addressed this objectionable school-mate.

All the girls were now filing into the chapel, and Hester should certainly not have presented the little parcel at that moment.

Breaking the rules, Miss Thornton, said Annie; all right, toss it here. Then, as Hester failed to comply, she ran back, knocking her school-fellows out of place, and, snatching the parcel from Hesters

hand, threw it high in the air. This was a piece of not only wilful audacity and disobedience, but it even savoured of the profane, for Annies step was on the threshold of the chapel, and the parcel fell with a noisy bang on the floor some feet inside the little building.

Bring me that parcel, Annie Forest, whispered the stern voice of the head-mistress.

Annie sullenly complied; but when she came up to Mrs Willis, her governess took her hand, and pushed her down into a low seat a little behind her.

Chapter Sixteen An Enemy Hath Done This.

Presently the young steps died away, and Annie, raising her head, saw that she was alone with Mr Everard, who seated himself in the place which Mrs Willis had occupied by her side.

Your governess has asked me to speak to you, my dear, he said, in his kind and fatherly tones; she wants us to discuss this thing which is making you so unhappy quite fully together. Here the clergyman paused, and, noticing a sudden wistful and soft look in the girls brown eyes, he continued: Perhaps, however, you have something to say to me which will throw light on this mystery?