ment.

"I am surprised," she said; "it almost sounds as if you----"

"As if I grudged the Scholarship to your niece; far from that," he
answered; "she is a remarkable girl; any girl who could write that
essay possesses genius. She will be heard of in the future."

Then the heart of Mrs. Aylmer the great swelled within her, and she
absolutely loved her niece Florence.

But now the day was over and Florence was alone in her room. The door
was closed; her mother's last kiss and blessing had been given. Mrs.
Aylmer the great had solemnly embraced Florence also, had given her to
understand that there was no request which she would not grant, and
then the tired girl had been left alone.

She went to the door of her room and locked it, then she stood for a
moment in the centre of the floor. There was a large mirror fastened
to one of the walls, and Florence could see her own reflection in it.
She glanced at it for a moment in a puzzled way, a solitary young
figure, tall and well proportioned, a head of dark hair, eyes very
bright, a face somewhat pale now from excessive emotion, pathetic lines
round the mouth. On the head shone the silver crown of bay-leaves, the
Greek dress fell away from the graceful figure, on the neck gleamed the
wonderful locket with its dazzling ruby. The light from a large lamp
fell upon this ruby and caused it to gleam brightly. Florence went
nearer to the mirror and looked into it. The fire from the heart of
the ruby seemed to leap out. She hastily unfastened the gold chain
from her neck and held the locket in her hand. The ruby with its heart
of fire seemed now to the excited girl to possess an evil eye which
could see through her. She felt that she hated it, she trembled a
little, she hastily unlocked a drawer and thrust in the ruby locket and
chain. She then removed the silver wreath of bay-leaves and put it
also in the drawer with the ruby. Then she clasped her hands above her
head and looked earnestly into her own face. Well she knew in that
moment of bitter triumph what had happened to her.

"I am made for life," she said at last slowly, aloud; "all the good
things of life can in the future be mine--all the wealth, all the
glory, to a great extent also the love."

But when Florence thought of the love she paused; for she remembered
her mother. Did anyone in all the world love her as the little Mummy
loved her? In the future she knew well that she should see very little
of