It was Annie and Miss Malison's interest to preserve this illusion; for were she recognised as fifteen, many privileges might have been acceded to her, very much at variance with their interest.

Annie had no desire for a rival to present herself, which, had her sister appeared in public, would undoubtedly have been the case; Lilla gave promise of beauty, which, though not perhaps really so perfect as Annie's, would certainly have attracted fully as much notice.

She was drawing a tiny wreath of brilliant flowers on a small portfolio, which she was regarding with a complacency that added brilliancy to her animated features.

At her father's well-known step she looked up in some little terror, and rose, as was her custom whenever she first saw him in the morning; her fear could not check the sparkling lustre of her eye, and Grahame, taking her hand, said kindly-- "I have some news for my little girl, which I trust will prove as agreeable as I have every reason to hope they may.

Mrs.Douglas will gladly consent to receive my Lilla as an inmate of her happy family." The flush of animation, the sparkling lustre of her eye faded on the instant, and she turned away.
"Why, our kind friend, Mrs.Hamilton, bade me hope this would be pleasing intelligence; has she deceived me, love ?" continued her father, drawing her with such unwonted tenderness to him, that, after a glance of bewilderment, she flung her arms round his neck, and for the first time in her life wept passionately on her father's shoulder.
"Can it be pleasure to hear I am to go from you and mamma ?" she exclaimed, clinging to him with all the passionate warmth of her nature, and forgetting all her terror in that one moment of uncontrolled feeling.