Part 34 (2/2)
”Well,” said Maggie, ”there are a great irls in the school who love me very dearly”
”It is easy to perceive that,” said Merry ”Why, Maggie, at tea-tiirl--Kathleen you call her--couldn't take her eyes off you”
”Oh, Kitty,” said Maggie ”Yes, she is on my side”
”What do you mean by your side?”
”Well, of course I have told you--haven't I?--that there are two of us in this school who are more looked up to than the others It seems very conceited for me to say that I happen to be one Of course I am not a patch on Aneta; I know that perfectly well”
”Aneta is a darling,” said Merry; ”and she is ie, soie with a start, ”is that true?”
”It is! it is!”
Maggie was silent for a ently, ”You won't be hurt at so I want to tell you?”
”Hurt! No,” said Merry; ”why should I be?”
”Well, it is just this: Aneta is frightfully jealous of nantly ”It isn't in her nature to be jealous It's very low-ie, ”where jealousy does not abound
There is no life into which jealousy does not enter The world itself is made up of jealous people Aneta is jealous of ie dear, you ht not to be jealous of Aneta! She thinks so kindly, so sweetly of every one”
”She loves you,” said Maggie ”You just go and tell her how much you care for me, that you love me better than you love her, and see how she will take it”
”But I wouldn't tell her that,” said little Merry, ”for it would hurt her”
”There!” said Maggie with a laugh; ”and yet you pretend that you don't think her jealous”
”She will never be jealous of ive her cause--dear Aneta!” said Merry
Maggie was again silent and thoughtful for a few minutes ”Listen to irls follow the queens If I wanted to et you over to et you over to me You shall stay at school and be on Aneta's side”
”I suppose--I suppose I ought,” said Merry in a faint voice
”You must--you must be on Aneta's side of the school, and so must Cicely; but you can, all the sa up ”Then, if I can, I sha'n't ently ”You can, Merry; and you can help me You will always take my part, won't you?”
”Indeed--indeed I will! But it won't be necessary”
”It ie very earnestly ”Promise that, if the time comes, you will take my part”