"But where are you going, dear?"

"I am going to Aunt Lucia. You will let me have a cab, and I will drive to Aunt Lucia's house in Eaton Square at once?"

Mrs. Ward looked doubtful. "You have a very grave reason for this?"

she said.

"Very, very grave; and I will tell you all presently."

"I have never had reason to doubt you," said Mrs. Ward, "and I won't doubt you now. Does Maggie know of this?"

"Yes--oh yes; but please don't question her until I return."

"Very well, dear; you shall have your way. Oh, you want Mrs. Martin's address. It is Laburnum Villa, Clapham."

Aneta entered the address in a little tablet bound in gold which she always wore at her waist.

"Thank you ever so much," she said, and then left the room.

A minute or two later she met Miss Johnson. "Give me something stiff to learn--something that I don't like--to-night, dear Lucy," she said.

"I am off for a whole day's holiday, but I shall be back in the evening."

"That is very queer," said Miss Johnson. "What does it mean?"

"I cannot explain, but Mrs. Ward knows. Be specially kind to dear Maggie, and give me something that I don't like to do when I return."

Miss Johnson smiled. "You shall hem some dusters," she said.

Aneta made a wry face. "Thanks ever so much," she replied; then she ran upstairs to get ready for her visit.

Just before leaving the house she looked in at Maggie. "I'm off, Mags.

It's all right. I shall probably see you about tea-time."

Before Maggie had time even to expostulate Aneta closed the door, and a minute or two later had stepped into the cab which Agnes had called for her. The cabman was desired to drive Miss Lysle to Lady Lysle's house in Eaton Square. This was accordingly done, and soon after ten o'clock Lady Lysle, who had not yet completed her morning toilet, was most amazed at being informed by her maid that Miss Lysle was waiting for her downstairs.

"Aneta! You don't mean Aneta, Purcell?"

"Yes, my lady; and she wants to see you in a very great hurry."

"Then send her up to me."

Purcell disappeared. Lady Lysle wondered what was wrong. Presently Aneta burst into the room.

"My dear child," said her aunt, "what can be wrong? Why have you left school? I do hope no illness has broken out there. It would be very inconvenient for me to have you here at present."

"There is no illness whatever at the school, Aunt Lucia," said Aneta, going up to her aunt and kissing her; "only there is a girl there, one of my schoolfellows, in a good bit of trouble, and I want to help her, and I have got a day off from Mrs. Ward, who doesn't know why she is giving it to me, but trusts me all the same. And now, auntie, I want you to come with me at once."

"Oh my dear child, where?"

"To Clapham, auntie."

"Clapham! I never stopped at Clapham in my life. I have driven through the place, it is true."

"Well, we'll stop there to-day," said Aneta, "at Laburnum Villa, Clapham. I want to see Mrs. Martin, Maggie's mother."

"Oh, dear child," said Lady Lysle, "you mean Miss Howland when you speak of Maggie? Now, you know I told you that her stepfather is no relation whatever to the Martyns of The Meadows. I cannot make out why she should have given you to understand that he was. A man who lives at Clapham! Dear Aneta, I would rather be excused."

"There is no excuse, auntie, that I can listen to for a single moment.

I know all about Maggie's stepfather, and I will tell you as we are driving out to Clapham. You have always let me have my own way, and I have--yes, I have tried to be a good girl; but there is something before me to-day more important and more difficult than I ever tackled yet, and if I can't come to my own aunt--I, who am a motherless girl--for help at this crisis I shall think the world is coming to an end."

"What a strange, earnest way you do speak in, Aneta!"

"I am very sorry, darling; but I a.s.sure you the case is most urgent.

You are quite well, aren't you?"

"Oh yes, my love; I am never an ailing sort of person."

"Well, then, I will send Purcell back to you, and please order the carriage, and please be as quick as possible. We have to go somewhere else after we have done with Mrs. Martin."

"Well, Aneta, I always was wax in your hands, and I suppose I must do what you wish. But remember your promise that you will tell me the meaning of this extraordinary thing during our drive to Clapham."

"I promise faithfully to tell you what is necessary, for the fact is I want your help. Darling auntie! you are doing about the best work of your life to-day. I knew you would stand by me; I felt certain of it, and I told Maggie so."

"That girl!" said Lady Lysle. "I don't care for that girl."

"You will change your mind about her presently," said Aneta, and she ran downstairs to request Davidson, the butler, to bring her something to eat, for her breakfast had been slight, and she was quite hungry enough to enjoy some of her aunt's nice food.

By-and-by Lady Lysle, looking slim and beautiful, wearing her becoming sables and her toque with its long black ostrich plume, appeared on the scene, and a minute later Davidson announced that the carriage was at the door.

The two ladies stepped in, Aneta giving very careful directions to the driver.

He expressed some astonishment at the address. "Laburnum Villa, Clapham!" he said. "Martin, Laburnum Villa, Clapham! Clapham's a big place, miss."

"I know that," said Aneta; "but that is all the address I can obtain.

We must call at the post-office, if necessary, to get the name of the street."

The footman sprang into his place, and Aneta and her aunt drove off in the comfortable brougham towards that suburb known as Clapham.

"Now, Aneta, I suppose you will tell me what is the meaning of this?"

"Yes, I will," said Aneta. "I made a mistake about Maggie, and I am willing to own it. She has been placed in a difficult position. I do not mean for a minute to imply that she has acted in a straight way, for she has not. But there is that in her which will make her the best of girls in the future, as she is one of the cleverest and one of the most charming. Yes, auntie, she has got a great power about her. She is a sort of magnet--she attracts people to her."

"She has never attracted me," said Lady Lysle. "I have always thought her a singularly plain girl."

"Ugliness like hers is really attractive," said Aneta. "But, now, the thing is this: if we don't help her she will be absolutely lost, all her chance taken from her, and her character ruined for ever. We do a lot at our school for those poor slum-girls, but we never do anything for girls in our cla.s.s. Now, I mean my girl in future to be Maggie Howland."

"Aneta, you are absurd!"

"I mean it, auntie; her father's daughter deserves help. Her father was as good a man as ever lived, and for his sake something ought to be done for his only child. As to her mother"----