er, Vava was no snob, and she determined to
face facts and tell Stella she must be friends with Doreen, and so she
did.

Stella heard her without making any remark, until Vava said, 'And, of
course, you need not speak to her if she comes up to us in the street;
she's sure to do that, because she has not very good manners.'

'She has very good principles and a good heart, which are more
important, and I shall certainly stop and thank her for being so kind to
you this morning,' remarked Stella.

Vava was so surprised that she stared at Stella. 'But--but she's not a
lady, Stella, and she talks dreadful grammar sometimes; but she asked me
to correct her, so she is trying to improve,' Vava observed.

'I don't suppose you will learn bad grammar from her, and as you only
see her in school you will not be too much in her company.'

All the same, Vava was glad the next morning that they did not meet
Doreen, and sorry the morning after when they did. To her surprise,
Doreen only nodded when she caught sight of them, and walked on the
other side of the street.

'Who is that, Vava?' inquired Stella, seeing her nod to some one.

'That is Doreen,' replied Vava.

'Tell her to come and speak to me; I should like to know her,' announced
Stella.

Vava ran across to Doreen, and gave Stella's message.

'Does she really? May I really?' stammered Doreen, quite flustered.

'Yes, of course; she's not a bit stiff when you know her,' Vava assured
her, for she guessed that Doreen was a little afraid of the stately lady
in black.

But Stella gave her lovely smile, and Doreen forgot her fears as she
gazed in frank admiration at Miss Wharton, who said, 'Thank you for
being so nice to Vava yesterday. I ought not to have said what I did,
for, after all, you showed better manners than I.'

'Oh but I didn't. I'd love to have manners like you; and father said,
when I told him last night, that it was only a natural remark, and that
people would always be divided into classes as long as the world lasted,
and that it was very hard on you having to come down from your class and
mix with us; but that you'd find we'd a lot of good in us, though we had
no manners,' cried Doreen eagerly.

'I am sure of it,' said Stella, who did not seem to mind the girl's
plain speaking.

Doreen looked at Stella suddenly, and gave a great sigh. She was quite
at ease with her, Vava noticed with surprise, and with still greater
surprise that Stella seemed to lik