essed of such
wealth as it made one dizzy to think of; and because he was fond of the
friend of his school days, he had given him an opportunity to share in
this enormous fortune by becoming a partner in his scheme. This, at
least, was what Sara gathered from his letters. It is true that any
other business scheme, however magnificent, would have had but small
attraction for her or for the schoolroom; but "diamond mines" sounded
so like the Arabian Nights that no one could be indifferent. Sara
thought them enchanting, and painted pictures, for Ermengarde and
Lottie, of labyrinthine passages in the bowels of the earth, where
sparkling stones studded the walls and roofs and ceilings, and strange,
dark men dug them out with heavy picks. Ermengarde delighted in the
story, and Lottie insisted on its being retold to her every evening.
Lavinia was very spiteful about it, and told Jessie that she didn't
believe such things as diamond mines existed.

"My mamma has a diamond ring which cost forty pounds," she said. "And
it is not a big one, either. If there were mines full of diamonds,
people would be so rich it would be ridiculous."

"Perhaps Sara will be so rich that she will be ridiculous," giggled
Jessie.

"She's ridiculous without being rich," Lavinia sniffed.

"I believe you hate her," said Jessie.

"No, I don't," snapped Lavinia. "But I don't believe in mines full of
diamonds."

"Well, people have to get them from somewhere," said Jessie.
"Lavinia," with a new giggle, "what do you think Gertrude says?"

"I don't know, I'm sure; and I don't care if it's something more about
that everlasting Sara."

"Well, it is. One of her 'pretends' is that she is a princess. She
plays it all the time--even in school. She says it makes her learn her
lessons better. She wants Ermengarde to be one, too, but Ermengarde
says she is too fat."

"She IS too fat," said Lavinia. "And Sara is too thin."

Naturally, Jessie giggled again.

"She says it has nothing to do with what you look like, or what you
have. It has only to do with what you THINK of, and what you DO."

"I suppose she thinks she could be a princess if she was a beggar,"
said Lavinia. "Let us begin to call her Your Royal Highness."

Lessons for the day were over, and they were sitting before the
schoolroom fire, enjoying the time they liked best. It was the time
when Miss Minchin and Miss Amelia were taking their tea in the sitting
room sacred to themse