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Well, and I am sure I cannot tell you," said her father; "only you need not look so scared about it, for they are very good

sort of people; at least, so your aunt Ellen would say."

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Soon after this Margaret went up stairs to her own room, and taking out her Bible and some of her little books began to read, feeling all the while very lonely and sad at heart indeed. She thought of her aunt Ellen, of how she was spending the day, and of all she had said to her about trying to please God, and that he would help her to keep in the right path if she asked him; and then she lifted up her heart to her Father in heaven and felt comforted. In a little while her father's voice was heard calling to her to come out in the garden. When she went down she found him giving Ada rides round the paddock on the new pony.

"Come, Meggie," he said, as soon as he saw her, "put away that solemn face, and have a ride. Ada is only going round once more." Margaret did not answer, but as soon as she saw that his attention was again

taken up with Ada, she slipped away and ran back to her own room.

In the evening she and Ada were both dressed with every possible care to go in to dessert. Ada was a child whom any one could love and caress; her beauty was so striking, and her manners, when she was in a good humour, so engaging, that few could help being attracted by her. Margaret's manners, on the contrary, were timid, reserved, and perhaps from her having been so unaccustomed to society, a little awkward. She was not long in feeling the difference in the notice taken of her and of Ada, by her father's guests. Ada, who had seen them all before, was petted, flattered, and caressed by every one, and laughed and talked without the least sign of bashfulness, but to Margaret they were strangers; few spoke to her, and to those few she seemed as if she could not find a single word to say in return. Often in the course of the evening she felt the tears almost ready to rise into her eyes, and oh! how often did she wish herself back again in the quiet parlour

of the Thatched Cottage, reading her evening portion of Scripture to her aunt Ellen, or singing the evening hymn, with which, and family prayer, their sabbath duties always closed.

At length, to her great relief, the time came for them to say good-night, and when Margaret laid her head upon her pillow, in the dark, gentle stillness of the night, she for the first time since she had left her aunt, indulged in the luxury of a good cry. After this, she again asked God to bless her, and a secret feeling of peace and happiness stole over her; the everlasting arms were beneath her; and she slept sweetly under the shadow of his wing, who has said, as of his vineyard, so of each, even the weakest vine planted in it, "I the Lord do keep it; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day."

*Isa. xxvii. 3.

CHAPTER V.

THE next week Miss Gregory, the new governess, came. Margaret had built very much upon the thought of her coming; for never having been taught by any one but her aunt Ellen, an idea had taken possession of her mind that Miss Gregory would be something like her and teach like her. In this, however, she was doomed to be greatly disappointed, for Miss Gregory and Mrs. Shirley were in nearly every respect as unlike as two persons could well be. Miss Gregory was a person of stiff and rather haughty manners, and of a dashing, stylish appearance, while Mrs. Shirley, as our young readers will have concluded from what they already know of her, was exactly the opposite in all these respects.

On the day of Miss Gregory's arrival,

Margaret in the evening happened to be in the drawing-room when the governess and Mrs. Craven were talking together. Margaret had no intention of listening, but she could not avoid over-hearing what they said, although she was seated at some distance from them.

"I have brought Ada up under my own eye," said Mrs. Craven, "but Margaret, on account of her being then a delicate child, was left, when we went abroad, under the care of a sister of Mr. Craven's, who until this time has entirely conducted her education."

"Indeed!" said Miss Gregory, "she is very different in appearance from her sister."

"Oh yes; they are different in every respect," replied Mrs. Craven, "and I very much regret that we were compelled to leave Margaret so long as we did with her aunt, as, although I have no doubt that she is a most excellent person, she has given her such strange, odd notions on some points, that I fear you will have a little trouble in