“We won’t talk about that,” said Aneta. “What we have to think about now is what lies straight ahead of you; not 161 of your past any more, but your immediate future. You have a tough time before you; in fact, you have a very great battle to fight, but I do not think you will turn tail.”
“You want me,” said Maggie, “to go to Mrs. Ward and tell her everything?”
“You must do that, Maggie. There is no second course to pursue. There is no way out. But I have been thinking since I saw you that perhaps you might have your day on Saturday. I think it would be best for you to tell Mrs. Ward to-morrow; and I think she would not prevent you having your day on Saturday. Perhaps it will be necessary—but she is the one to decide—that some of your schoolfellows should be told; and of course your little brooch which you sold to Pearce must be got back. Even Pearce is far too honest to keep it for the price he paid you.”
“He gave me five pounds, and I have spent one. There are still four pounds left,” said Maggie. “I meant to run away with the help of these.”
“I will lend you a pound,” said Aneta, “and we’ll get the brooch back to-morrow.”
“But, Aneta, I have not yet told you—it is too fearful—you cannot conceive what my stepfather is like. It isn’t only his being a grocer—for I have no doubt there are lots of grocers who are quite, quite tolerable; but you cannot imagine what he is. I had a letter from him a little time ago—that time, you remember, when he sent me those perfectly awful dresses—and he said then that he and my mother were coming to see me, as he wanted to interview Mrs. Ward and to look at the school for himself. Well, that poor Tildy brought me a letter to-day from mother. I had written to mother to beg of her not to let him come; but he got hold of the letter, and he was nearly mad about it. The end of it is that he and she are coming on Saturday, and, somehow, I can’t bear it. I must run away; I cannot endure it!”
“I don’t wonder,” said Aneta. “Let me think. Lay your head on my shoulder, Maggie. Oh, how tired you are!”
“Aneta, you seem to me quite new—just as though I had never seen you before.”
“I think you and your story have opened my eyes and done me good,” said Aneta. “Then what you said about the sufferings of the poor—I mean your sort of poor—gave me great pain. Will you take off your things and lie down, and let me lie by your side? Do, Maggie darling!”
Maggie darling! Such words to come from Aneta Lysle’s lips! Maggie felt subjugated. She allowed her rival queen to undress her, and presently the two girls were lying side by side in the little bed. Maggie dropped off into heavy slumber. Aneta lay awake.