ike that; it gives me more time to study. Oh, I can tell you I find the
silence that reigns up here delightful. If you had lived in the middle of
a crowd of chattering girls for the last five years you could understand
that too. Oh, but it is a lovely, wonderful time that I am having now,
and I shan't forget that I owe it to you."

She fell suddenly silent, and a dreamy look came into her eyes, and a
smile lingered round her mouth. Margaret, noting it, knew that the smile
had nothing whatever to do with her in spite of the expression of
gratitude towards her to which she had just given utterance. It was in
thoughts of herself alone that Eleanor was wrapped; dreams of her own
rosy future were floating before the vision of her mind, and she saw
herself successful, famous, her name on every one's lips, one of the
world-renowned singers of the century. No wonder that in those
entrancing, soaring dreams there was no room for thought of the pale,
grave, silent girl beside her. But presently, the smile still lingering
round the corners of her mouth, Eleanor came out of her dreams, and
turning to Margaret with one of the rapid transitions of mood that
Margaret found so bewildering, she began to laugh at herself.

"Do you know, Margaret," she said, "I believe I am the most egotistical
person that ever existed. Here have I been raving about myself and about
my future greatness, and I have not even asked you one single, solitary
question about yourself. And now, having told you how very, very much I
like being you, tell me how much you like being me."

But now that her opportunity to speak had arrived, Margaret could not
for the moment make use of it. An odd, choking sensation came into her
throat, tears gathered in her eyes, and before she could prevent it, a
big drop rolled silently down her face.

"Good gracious!" Eleanor exclaimed, leaning across the little round table
so as to get a better view of Margaret's face. "Is it as bad as all
that?"

Still Margaret was unable to answer, unless a second tear rolling down
from her other eye could be taken as an answer.

"Oh dear! oh dear!" said Eleanor, fairly aghast at Margaret's unexpected
behaviour. "Whatever can be done!"

All the radiant happiness was gone from her face, and she looked utterly
disconcerted and taken aback.

Then Margaret found her voice.

"Oh, I want to change!" she said, in a voice broken with sobs. "I want to
be myself again."

"But you can't!" Elean