Part 16 (1/2)
”Such a school as this would do theood,” said Lady Lysle
”Well, I really hope they will come,” said Mrs Ward; ”but I quite understand their father's objections They are evidently very precious treasures, and he has the sort of objection which exists in the irls to school”
”Ah,” said Aneta, ”but there are schools and schools!”
”The girls will be exceedingly rich,” said Lady Lysle ”Their ed to an old county family She inherits vast wealth _and_ the old family place Their father is what may be termed a o to these girls They are very nice children, but know nothing whatever of the world It seeht up with no knowledge of the great world where they must eventually live”
”I hope they will coreat responsibility They can nificent use of their money I should be interested to have them”
”I know you would, my dear friend,” said Lady Lysle, ”and they are really quite sweet girls Now, coer”
When her visitors had left her Mrs Ward still re-room She sank into a low chair, folded her hands in her lap, and reh she was only thirty-five years of age, she had been afor over ten years She had irl, and had lost her husband and child before she was five-and-twenty It was in her generous and noble nature to love most passionately and all too well For a time after her terrible trouble she scarcely kno to bear her grief Then she took it to the one place where such sorrow can be borne--namely, to the foot of the throne of God; and afterwards it occurred to her to devote her life to the education of others She was quite well-off, and did not need to work for her living But work, to a nature such as hers, was essential She also needed the sympathy of others, and the love of others; and so, aided by her friends, her ston was started
From the very first it was a success It was unlike many other schools, for the head-mistress had broader and nobler views of life
She loved all her girls, and they all loved her; but it was iirls irls at present at her school Aneta Lysle was the one she really loved best There was also, it is sad to relate, a girl there whoie Howland There was nothing whatever with regard to Maggie that her irl's fascination, and of her powerful influence over her schoolfellows Nevertheless, she never thought of her without a sense of discoirls ere educated at Aylmer House for a very low fee; for Mrs Ward was quite rich enough and generous enough to take girls who could not afford her full terie's fees, therefore, were alie herself and her mother, Mrs Howland None of her schoolfellows knew, for she learned just what they did, and had precisely the saes She was treated just like the others
No one could guess that her circuie would never tell, but none the less did she in her heart hate her position
As ato the school on specially low terie, however, suspected it, and intended, if necessary, tofriends when they all assembled at Aylmer House
”Yes,” said Mrs Ward, half-aloud, half to herself, ”I don't quite trust Maggie Howland But I cannot possibly dismiss her from the school I may win her round to a loftier standard of life, but at present there is no doubt she has not that high ideal in viehich I think irls aim at”
Between three and four o'clock that day Mrs Ward received a telegra words:
”After consideration, I have irls to your care Their mother and I rite to you fully in a day or two”
Mrs Ward sram ”I will do my best for those children,” she said to herself
CHAPTER IX
THE NEWS
Mr Cardew arrived at Meredith Manor very late that evening The long and happy day had coie Howland had returned to the rectory Cicely and Merry were having a long, confidential chat together They were in Merry's bedroo of the pleasures of the day, and in particular were discussing the delightful fact that their beautiful cousin Aneta had wired to say she would be with them in two days' time
They had not seen Aneta for some years, but they both remembered her vividly Herspecially dazzling and specially beautiful Maggie Howland, too, had spoken of Aneta's beauty Maggie had been told that Aneta was coie's private feelings ht at Aneta's appearance at Meredith Manor
”What a darling she is!” said Merry ”I doubt very much--I suppose it's rank heresy to say so, Cicely, but I really greatly doubt whether I shall ever prefer Aneta to Maggie What are ie has? That seeift”
”We need not compare them, need we?” said Cicely
”Oh, certainly not,” said Merry; ”but, Cicely darling, doesn't it seeirls who are all to meet in Septe with us at the present moment?”
”Yes, indeed,” said Cicely ”I feel aled to it, which of course is quite ridiculous, for we shall never by any chance go there”
”Of course not,” said Merry, and she sighed