friend of my father; and she never knew that he had a daughter.
Refined, accomplished, lady-like; and she stoops to use a false
reference. Who is to reconcile such contradictions as these?"

Dawn looked in at the window--dawn of the memorable day which
was, for Emily, the beginning of a new life. The years were
before her; and the years in their course reveal baffling
mysteries of life and death.


CHAPTER IV.

MISS LADD'S DRAWING-MASTER.

Francine was awakened the next morning by one of the housemaids,
bringing up her breakfast on a tray. Astonished at this
concession to laziness, i n an institution devoted to the
practice of all virtues, she looked round. The bedroom was
deserted.

"The other young ladies are as busy as bees, miss," the housemaid
explained. "They were up and dressed two hours ago: and the
breakfast has been cleared away long since. It's Miss Emily's
fault. She wouldn't allow them to wake you; she said you could be
of no possible use downstairs, and you had better be treated like
a visitor. Miss Cecilia was so distressed at your missing your
breakfast that she spoke to the housekeeper, and I was sent up to
you. Please to excuse it if the tea's cold. This is Grand Day,
and we are all topsy-turvy in consequence."