Part 37 (1/2)
”I will never do it,” said Maggie--”never! Two queens in the schoolat all All it does mean is that I have special friends whom I can influence, and whom I love to influence, and you have special friends who them as hard as ever you can, and I will do the sa to you I could, I believe, have won Merry Cardew toto do so”
”It would be very unwise of you,” said Aneta in a low tone ”Very well, Maggie,” she added after a pause, ”if you won't give up being queen in the irls, I must, of course, continue ht all work together”
”We never could work together,” said Maggie with passion ”It is but to talk to you, Aneta, to kno you despise and hate ie”
”Well, I despise and hate you, so I suppose it coie Some day, perhaps, you will know me as I really am”
”I know you now as you really are--eaten up with pride of birth, and with no syirls a trifle poorer than yourself”
”You speak with cruelty, and I aie's face underwent a queer change It puckered up in an alarirl burst into tears
The sight of Maggie's tears ied Aneta Lysle's attitude Those tears were genuine Whether they were caused by anger or by sorrow she did not stop to discriminate The next irl and had swept her young arie, what is it? Oh, if you would only understand ie ”I aie!” said Aneta ”Oh, I am terribly sorry! Sit here now, and let me comfort you”
”Oh! I can't, Aneta You don't understand me--not a bit”
”Better than you think, perhaps; and I am terribly sorry you are troubled Oh, perhaps I knoas told to-night that your ain You are unhappy about that?”
Maggie i tears She felt that she was in danger If Aneta found out, or if Mrs Ward found out, who Maggie's stepfather was, she would certainly not be allowed to stay at Aylmer House This was her dread of all dreads, and she had soat all of Mrs
Howland's change of naie ”She is a rich woman now; but the fact is, I dearly loved my own father, and--it hurt me very much to see another put into his place”
”Of course it did,” said Aneta, with deep sympathy; ”it would have driven me nearly wild Does Mrs Ward know that your ie?”
”Well, I haven't told her; and, please, Aneta, will you promise me not to do so?”
”But is there any occasion to keep it a secret, dear?”
”I would so ie Howland I aed her name makes no difference, except, indeed, that she is very well off, whereas she was poor”
”Well, that of course is a comfort to you,” said Aneta ”Perhaps by-and-by you will learn to be glad that your ood husband I am told that she has married one of those very nice Martyns who live in Warwickshi+re Is that true?”
Maggie nodded She hated herself after she had given that inclination of her head; but she had done it now, and rocer as a stepfather was beyond her power
Aneta did not think it specially necessary to worry about Maggie'swas Maggie's own affair; and, after trying to coie, and went to her own room When there, she went at once to bed and fell fast asleep
But Maggie sat for a long time by her open”What an awful and ridiculous position I have put ht ”The Martyns of The Meadows and Bo-peep of Laburnuhter if I were not also inclined to screaet into people's heads, and now I have, confirs will be worse than ever”
Before Maggie went to bed she sat down and wrote a brief note to her mother She addressed it ritten to Mrs Martyn (spelt with a ”y”), Laburnuarded it as one of the most poky suburban residences she had ever had the pleasure of entering The whole house was odiously cheap and coie preferred Tildy and Mrs Ross, and the fusty, s at Shepherd's Bush
Her note to her mother was very brief: