good and
kind, and never meddles with anything."

Miss Panney listened with great attention. She now saw how she must
change her plans. If Ralph were to marry Dora, Miriam must like Dora. As
for his own liking, there would be no trouble about that, after the Drane
girl should be got rid of. In regard to this riddance, Miss Panney had
intended to make an early move and a decided one. Now she saw that this
would not do. The Drane girl, that alien intruder, whom Dr. Tolbridge's
treachery had thrust into this household, was the great obstacle to the
old lady's schemes, but to oust her suddenly would ruin everything.
Miriam would rise up in opposition, and at present that would be fatal.
Miriam was not a girl whose grief and anger at the loss of one thing
could be pacified by the promise of another. Having lost Cicely, she
would turn her back upon Dora, and what would be worse, she would
undoubtedly turn Ralph's back in that direction.

To this genial young man, his sister was still his chief object on earth.
Later, this might not be the case.

When Miriam began to like Dora,--and this must happen, for in Miss
Panney's opinion the Bannister girl was in every way ten times more
charming than Cicely Drane,--then, cautiously, but with quick vigor, Miss
Panney would deliver the blow which would send the Dranes not only from
Cobhurst, but back to their old home. In the capacity of an elderly and
experienced woman who knew what everybody said and thought, and who was
able to make her words go to the very spinal marrow of a sensitive
person, she was sure she could do this. And when she had done it, it
would cheer her to think that she had not only furthered her plans, but
revenged herself on the treacherous doctor.

Now was heard from within, the voice of Cicely, who had come downstairs
from her work, and who, not knowing that Miriam had a visitor, was
calling to her that it was time to get dinner.

"My dear," said Miss Panney, "go in and attend to your duties, and if you
will let me, I shall like ever so much to stay and take dinner with you,
and you need not put yourself to the least trouble about me. You ought to
have very simple meals now that you are doing your own work. I very much
want to become better acquainted with your little friend Cicely and her
good mother. Now that I know that you care so much for them, I feel
greatly interested in them both, and you know, my dear, there is no way
of becoming acquainted with pe