great_ privilege for any
gentleman to dance with a lady?" and the indignant child laid special
stress on the word "great."

Dick rose, and treating her to a sweeping Sir Charles Grandison bow,
replied, "You are right, madam; the honour is inestimable." At this
both laughed, and continued the interrupted conversation.

"Ada Irvine has accepted her invitation, Dick," was Winnie's next
announcement, given with ominous gravity. "No one ever imagined she
would do so, and all the school-girls are talking about it."

Dick gave a low whistle.

"Depend upon it, Win," he said solemnly, "there's something in the
wind. Ada Irvine's not the girl to take such a step without having a
reason for so doing. I guess you and Nellie had better look out for
squalls, for if Miss Ada's not up to some low dodge, my name's not
Richard Blake."

And even while they were speaking, the subject of their conversation
sat up in her comfortable bedroom at Mrs. Elder's, thinking over the
first link she was about to forge in the long chain of bitter malice
and deceit. She was seated in a low basket-chair before the fire,
making a pretty picture with her long fair hair floating down her back,
and her dainty figure nestling cosily amongst the soft cushions. Her
blue eyes had an absent, far-away look, and the small white hands lying
on her lap were nervously interlaced one with the other.

"Yes," she muttered in a low, hushed voice, "I shall have my revenge,
though I cannot as yet see the way clearly before me. I hardly know
towards which I bear the greater hatred, but anyhow both will
suffer--Winnifred Blake for her malicious triumph and delight; Nellie
Latimer for her upsetting behaviour and quiet contempt. Oh, how I
detest them both!" and the girl's eyes gleamed angrily. There was a
moment's silence; then she continued, knitting her white brow in a
perplexed frown,--"I wonder how I shall manage? One thing is certain:
I must do my best on Friday night--make a good impression on the Blake
family, and cautiously poison their minds with respect to Nellie
Latimer. People are so credulous in this world, it is wonderful what a
word skilfully thrown in will do, and how very easily it is credited;
but I must be careful, and lay my plans with the greatest caution."

She spoke all this in a low undertone, as if fearful of being
overheard, and her eyes wandered round the room with an uneasy light
shining in their depths. The fire-flames leaped and