because her own mother wants her. Oh dear! I wish we could
have her and her mother too."

"Come on now, Merry, I don't think we ought to ask father and mother
to invite Mrs. Howland."

"Of course not. I quite understand that," replied Merry.
"Nevertheless, I am a little sad about dear Maggie."

Merry's sadness took a practical form. She thought a great deal about
her friend during the rest of that day, although Maggie rather avoided
her. She thought, in particular, of Maggie's poverty, and wondered
what poverty really meant. The poor people--those who were called poor
at Meredith--did not really suffer at all, for it was the bounden duty
of the squire of the Manor to see to all their wants, to provide them
with comfortable houses and nice gardens, and if they were ill to give
them the advice of a good doctor, also to send them nourishing food
from the Manor. But poor people of that sort were quite different from
the Maggie Howland sort. Merry could not imagine any lord of the manor
taking Maggie and Mrs. Howland in hand and providing them with all the
good things of life.

But all of a sudden it darted through her eager, affectionate little
heart that she herself might be lord of the manor to Maggie, and might
help Maggie out of her own abundance. If it were impossible to get
Maggie Howland and her mother both invited to Scarborough, why should
not she, Merry, provide Maggie with means to take her mother from the
fusty, dusty lodgings to another seaside resort?

Merry thought over this for some time, and the more she thought over
it the more enamored she was of the idea. She and Cicely had, of
course, no special means of their own, nor could they have until they
came of age. Nevertheless, they were allowed as pocket-money ten
pounds every quarter. Now, Merry's ten pounds would be due in a week.
She really did not want it. When she got it she spent it mostly on
presents for her friends and little gifts for the villagers; but on
this occasion she might give it all in one lump sum to Maggie Howland.
Surely her father would let her have it? She might give it to Maggie
early to-morrow morning. Maggie would not be too proud to accept it
just as a tiny present.

Merry had as little idea how far ten pounds would go toward the
expenses of a visit to the seaside as she had of what real poverty
meant. But it occurred to her as a delightful way of assuring Maggie
of her friendship to present Maggie with her quarter's pocket