the
best in his power for his own client. John Ball was by no means
resolved to obey his mother implicitly and make so much of Mr Maguire
and his visit as all this; but how could he help doing so if Margaret
would go away? He could not as yet bring himself to tell her that Mr
Maguire and the visit should go altogether for nothing. He shook his
head in his trouble, and pished and pshawed.

"The truth is, Margaret, you can't go to-day."

"Indeed I shall, John," said she, smiling. "You would hardly wish to
keep me a prisoner, and the worst you could do would be to keep my
luggage from me."

"Then I must say that you are very obstinate."

"It is not very often that I resolve to have my own way; but I have
resolved now, and you should not try to balk me."

They had now come round nearly to the house, and she showed, by the
direction that she took, that she was going in.

"You will go?" said he.

"Yes," said she; "I will go. My address will be at the old house in
Arundel Street. Shall I see you again before I go?" she asked him,
when she stood on the doorstep. "Perhaps you will be busy, and I had
better say goodbye."

"Good-bye," said he, very gloomily; but he took her hand.

"I suppose I had better not disturb my uncle. You will give him my
love. And, John, you will tell some one about my luggage; will you
not?"

He muttered some affirmative, and then went round from the front of
the house, while she entered the hall.

It was now half-past eleven, and she intended to start at half-past
twelve. She went into the drawing-room and not finding her aunt, rang
the bell. Lady Ball was with Sir John, she was told. She then wrote a
note on a scrap of paper, and sent it in:

DEAR AUNT,

I leave here at half-past twelve. Perhaps you would like
to see me before I go.

M. M.

Then, while she was waiting for an answer, she went into the school
room, and said good-bye to all the children.

"But you are coming back, aunt Meg," said the youngest girl.

Margaret stooped down to kiss her, and, when the child saw and felt
the tears, she asked no further questions.

"Lady Ball is in the drawing-room, Miss," a servant said at that
moment, and there she went to fight her last battle!

"What's the meaning of this, Margaret?" said her aunt.

"Simply that I am going. I was to have gone on Monday, as you will
remember."

"But it was understood that you were to stop."

For a moment or two Margaret said no