THE PREMIUM. 179

of the fools who were kept of old by great people,
and who always wore many colours.”

Lucy had so far overcome her dread of ob-
servation that she herself proposed to accompany
Mary. When the cousins entered the school.
room, a number of their young acquaintances were
already collected, by many of whom Lucy had
not been seen since her illness. Mary held the
door carefully open for her as she entered, and,
the unusual sound of her crutches attracting
attention, every eye was turned towards her.
From the lips of one, and one only, proceeded
an unfecling titter; that one was Miss Ann
Noel, for whom Lucy had once felt such over-
weening admiration, on account of the advantages
bestowed on her by her father’s wealth. If
Lucy heard her laugh, she did not seem to heed
it; and Mary, though she turned on her a coun-
tenance glowing with indignation, said nothing,
from delicate regard to her cousin’s feelings.
In a moment Lucy was surrounded by her for-
mer companions, each of whom was anxious to
offer some attention to the poor lame girl.
There were few who had not been offended in

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