THE PREMIUM. 17?

no chance about this; it is a trial of the relative
merits in composing of the members of your
class, and, as your cousin does not now belong
to that class, I cannot do as you wish. Have you
your own composition with you?”

“Yes, ma’am,” said Mary, and slowly and
reluctantly she drew it forth. She had already
ventured a great deal for one so bashful, but
she was very loath to relinquish a project on
which she had thought with so much satisfae-
tion, and, as she handed her own composition,
she could not help adding, though in a low,
constrained voice, “‘ You cannot take Cousin
Lucy's?”

“Not instead of yours,” said Mrs. Butler,
smiling; ‘but I should be glad to have it with
yours.”

Mary gave them both, looking up in her
teacher’s face as she did so with eyes that seemed
to say, ‘I wish I knew what you intended to
do with it.’ The good-humoured smile with
which Mrs. Butler met that look satisfied Mary
that her intentions were kind.

The great day at last arrived for which Mary

M