she
thought also medicine. She shrank away from her mother, and sobbed
convulsively.

"My dear child," said Mrs. Merrill, "you need not feel so badly.
There will be no change in your life until you yourself marry. We
shall live right along here. This house is larger and more convenient
than the doctor's. He will rent his house, and we shall live here."

"And all those Ellridge girls," sobbed Lily.

"They are very nice girls, dear. Florence and Amelia will room
together; they can have the southeast room. Mabel, I suppose, will
have to go in the best chamber. Perhaps, by-and-by, Dr. Ellridge will
finish off another room for her. I don't quite like the idea of
having no spare room. But you will keep your own room, and you will
be all the happier for having three nice sisters."

"I never liked them," sobbed Lily. It really seemed to her that she
was called upon to marry the Ellridge girls, and that was the main
issue.

"They are very nice girls," repeated Mrs. Merrill, and there was
obstinacy in her artificially sweet tone. "Everybody says they are
very nice girls. You certainly would not wish your mother to give up
her chance of a happy life, because you have an unwarrantable
prejudice against the poor doctor's daughters."

"You have been married once," said Lily, feebly. It was as if she
made a faint remonstrance because of her mother, who had already had
her reasonable share of cake, taking a second slice. She had too
sweet a disposition to say bitter things, but the bitterness of the
things she might have said was in her heart.

"I suppose you think because I am older it is foolish," said her
mother, in an aggressive voice. "Wait till you yourself are older and
you may know how I feel. You may find out that you cannot give up all
the joys of life because you have been a few years longer in the
world. You may not feel so very different from what you do now." Mrs.
Merrill's voice rang true in this last. There was even a pathetic
appeal to her daughter for sympathy. But Lily continued to sob
weakly, and did not say any more.

"Well, good-night, my dear child," Mrs. Merrill said finally. "You
will feel very differently about all this later on. You will come to
see, as I do, that it is for the best. You will be much happier."
Mrs. Merrill kissed Lily again, and went out. She closed the door
with a slight slam.

Lily knew that her mother was angry with her. As for herself, she
considered that she had never been s