FIRST DAY AT SCHOOL. 68

dropped her father’s hand, and sat down by Mary
and put her arm around her. The colour came
up quickly into Mary’s cheeks, and she moved, as
if she wanted to push away her cousin’s arm, for
she had seen Lucy’s unjust feelings, and resented
them; and she thought now that Lucy caressed
her, not because she liked her, but in order to
please her father. As she turned, however, her
eye rested on Lucy’s face, and she saw that tears
were in her eycs, that the angry expression had
passed from her countenance, ‘and that she looked
gentle and loving. Mary’s resentment was gone
in a moment; she put her arm around Lucy’s
neck and kissed her, and for the first time Lucy
and Mary really loved cach other.

That evening at eight o’clock Lucy closed her
books, having committed all her lessons perfectly,
while Mary still sat, turning from one to the
other of hers, yawning over them, and thinking
studying lessons a very wearisome business. As
Lucy passed her father to lay her books on the
shelf, he said, in a whisper, ‘Could you not help
Cousin Mary ?”

Lucy returned cheerfully to the table, and did

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