ls in the world; oh, they _are_ so good and nice.--You
said so too, Jacinth?'

Lady Myrtle's eyes turned to Jacinth.

'Yes,' the elder girl replied coldly; 'I believe they are very nice
girls. But I did not know them nearly as well as you, Frances. I do not
care for making friends as you do.'

'No,' said Frances, rather lamely. 'I know you don't; but still I'd like
you to tell Lady Myrtle how nice they are.'

'Why should it interest Lady Myrtle to hear about your school-fellows,
my dear?' said Miss Mildmay, surprised and a little annoyed by Frances's
rather pertinacious manner. 'These girls are very nice, I have no doubt;
indeed I recollect Miss Scarlett speaking very highly of them; but no
one doubts it. I think all your school-fellows must be nice girls--not
only the Harpers. And the name may be a mere coincidence. I have never
heard certainly that they were of the Elvedon family.'

Lady Myrtle had not seemed to be attending to what Miss Mildmay said.
She was speaking to herself.

'"Camilla,"' she murmured softly, '"Camilla" and "Margaret." Not
"Bessie;" no I never heard of a Bessie, and "Margaret" is not uncommon.
But "Camilla"--yes, I suppose it must be.'

But just as she said this, Miss Mildmay's last words--the good lady had
rather an emphatic way of speaking--rang out clearly: 'I have never
heard certainly that they were of the Elvedon family.'

'That's just it,' said Frances, and by this time Lady Myrtle's attention
was fully caught. 'Of course I don't mean to contradict you, Aunt
Alison, but I _do_ know they're the same family, and so they are
relations of Lady Myrtle's. And it's not only that I like them. I'm so
very sorry for them, so _very_ sorry. They are all so good, and they
have so very, very many troubles,' and here the irrepressible tears rose
to poor Frances's eyes, and she turned her head away abruptly.

Lady Myrtle glanced at her and then at Jacinth. Jacinth's face was quiet
and very grave.

'You are a very loyal friend, I see, Frances,' said the old lady; and
rather to every one's surprise the words were accompanied by a little
smile, and then she turned to Jacinth.

'I don't think you have ever named these--these Harpers--to me, have
you, my dear?' she asked.

Jacinth looked up at once.

'No,' she said; 'I have not, and I have refrained from doing so on
purpose. I--I did not think it concerned me, and you might not have
liked it. I--I should be so sorry to vex you.'

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