Surely you might have used your well-known influence better!"

"Nothing would have induced her to give up her determination," replied
Mabel, quietly, "and I would have been the last to advise her to do so,
seeing she made it a matter between herself and her conscience."

"Oh!" exclaimed Mona, recollecting herself, "That is just what I want to
know about. What was her real reason? you know she did not give any to
Miss Marsden. Don't be afraid to tell me, I have no sinister motive in
asking it, I merely wish to do Minnie justice."

Mabel glanced at her in some astonishment before she replied. "I am not
sure that the reason she gave to me was her real one," she said, "at
least, I think it was only a part of it. However, I will tell you what
she gave to me as such. She said that she had studied Latin so long with
her brothers, that she would be able to place any one at a disadvantage
who was obliged to study it alone. She considered that she occupied a
rather unfair position with regard to you particularly, and probably
also to many of the others who would take part in the examination.

"I think she was pretty sorry about it, for I can assure you, she spared
no pains on that translation, and was very proud of it. I remember how
regretfully she looked at it, when she told me she was not going to send
it after all, and then laughed and said she should be satisfied with the
power to do it, even if no one knew about it but herself."

"I am sure I would if I had been Minnie," remarked Mona. "No, I wouldn't
either--I would have liked it to be known and appreciated--but I
wouldn't have cared for the prize in comparison with the translation
itself. But have you no idea about the rest of her reason? That isn't
the whole of it, as you say."

"Well, I have my own ideas," admitted Mabel, "but I don't consider
myself at liberty to give expression to them, even as conjectures."

"Then I _am_ right!" exclaimed Mona, triumphantly, "I have got on to the
right track at last, and you will see what I shall make of it. Mabel,"
she continued earnestly, "you can't think how miserable I have been all
this while about my conduct to Minnie. Often I have been on the point of
giving in and acknowledging how wrong it was, but my pride has always
stood in the way and dared me to do it. I don't think I am a coward in
most things, but I am a perfect dastard before that, my worst enemy. I
think he is down now, though, and if I can help it, he'll never