336

XX. A SAD STORY 355

XXI. MY LADY 368

XXII. TO REAR, TO LOVE, AND THEN TO LOSE 380

XXIII. WHEN GOD DREW NEAR, AMONG HIS OWN TO CHOOSE 406

XXIV. TWO SECRETS 420

XXV. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A
GOOD-NIGHT--FIVE YEARS LATER 437

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

PAGE

FROM AUNT TREMAYNE AND RALPH _Frontispiece_

"O ERNESTINE, HOW LOVELY!" 17

KAT AND KIT 49

THE OLD GENTLEMAN LIFTED JEAN UP ON THE POST 92

"NOW LET'S SEE WHAT'S IN THIS WONDERFUL TRUNK" 167

"WHY, HOW DO YOU DO, MY DEAR CHILD?" 244

"WHAT IS THE MATTER? WHAT HAS HAPPENED?" 267

MR. CONGREVE WOULD COME INTO THE GALLERY 314

SIX GIRLS.

CHAPTER I.

UNDER THE TREES.

There were ripples of sunshine all tangled in the glowing scarlet of the
geranium bed and dancing blithely over the grass. A world of melody in
quivering bursts of happy song came from the spreading canopy of leaves
overhead, and as an accompaniment, the wind laughed and whispered and
kept the air in one continual smile with a kiss on its lips, born of
supreme contentment in the summer loveliness.

In the cool, deep shade, cast by the grandest of old beech trees, a girl
sat, her white dress in freshest relief against the green surroundings,
a piece of sewing in her nimble fingers, and the wind tossing her
loosened hair all about her face and shoulders. She was quite alone, and
seemed just the setting for the quiet, lovely surroundings, so much so,
that, had an artist chanced to catch the sight, he would have lost no
time in transferring it to canvas,--the wide stretch of grass,
alternately steeped in cool shadows and mellow sunshine, the branching,
rustling canopy of leaves, the white-robed figure with smiling lips and
busy fingers, and just visible in the back-ground an old house wrapped
in vines and lying in the shade.

Somebody came from among the trees just at this moment and crossed the
grass with a peculiarly graceful and swaying step, as though she had
just drifted down with the sunshine and was being idly blown along by
the wind,