d help you."

"I will, I must win," said poor Florence. "Oh, I could scarcely sleep
last night with thinking of my mother. I am so truly, truly glad that
you were able to post that letter in time; but for your happening to go
to Hilchester she would not have had it this morning. Now she must be
feeling great relief."

"I can post as many more letters to your mother as you like," said
Bertha Keys. "I will do anything in my power for you; I want you to
believe that. I want you to believe also that I am in a position to
give you serious and substantial help."

"Thank you," said Florence. She gazed into Bertha's eyes, and felt a
strange thrill.

Bertha had a rare power of magnetism, and could influence almost any
girl who had not sufficiently high principles to withstand her power.

She now hastily left the oak parlor to attend to her studies, and
Florence sat down to begin her studies. Her head ached, and she felt
restless and miserable. She envied Kitty's serene face and Mary
Bateman's downright, sensible way of attacking her subjects.

"I cannot think how you keep so calm about it," she said to Mary, in
the course of that morning; "suppose you lose?"

"I have thought it all out," answered Mary, "and I cannot do more than
my best. If I succeed I shall be truly, truly glad. If I fail I shall
be no worse off than I was before. I wish you would feel as I do about
it, Florry, and not make yourself quite ill over the subject. The fact
is you are not half as nice as you were last term when everyone called
you Tommy."

"Oh, I know, I know," answered Florence, "but I cannot go back now.
What do you think the theme for the Scholarship will be?"

"I have not the slightest idea. That theme will be Kitty's strong
point; there is not the slightest doubt about that."

Florence bent again over her French exercise. She was fairly good at
French, and her German was also passable, but as she read and worked
and struggled through a difficult piece of translation her thoughts
wandered again and again to the subject of the English theme. What
would it be? History, poetry, or anything literary?

The more she thought, the less she liked the idea of this supreme test.

Dinner passed, and the moment for the reassembling of the school for
afternoon work arrived. Just as all the girls were streaming into the
large schoolroom, Mrs. Clavering came hurriedly forward.

"Before you begin your duties this afternoon, young