Miss Mohun put the flowers on the little table near the girl, who
smiled a little, and thanked her in a languid dreary manner. Finding
that she had freshly been visited by the rector, Miss Mohun would not
stop for any serious reading, but would leave Miss Merrifield to read
a story to her.

'And you ought to get on together,' she said, smiling. 'You are just
about the same age, and your names rhyme--Gillian and Lilian. And
Gillians mother is a Lily too.'

This the young lady lid not like, for she was already feeling it a
sort of presumption in the girl to bear a name so nearly resembling
her mother's. She had seen a little cottage poverty, and had had a
class of little maidservants; but this level of life which is in no
want, keeps a best parlour, and does not say ma'am, was quite new to
her, and she did not fancy it. When the girls were left together,
while Mrs. Giles returned to her ironing, Gillian was the shyer of
the two, and began rather awkwardly and reluctantly---

'Miss Mohun thought you would like to hear this. It is a sort of
German fairy tale.'

Lilian said, 'Yes, Miss Merrifield' in a short dry tone, completing
Gillian's distaste, and she began to read, not quite at her best, and
was heartily glad when at the end of half an hour Mrs. Giles was
heard in parley with another visitor, so that she had an excuse for
going away without attempting conversation. She was overtaken by the
children on their way home from their schools, where they had dined.
They rushed upon her, together with the two Varleys, who wanted to