"And so lost all the references he has been finding for his essay this week past," said Abram. "Well, I declare, sis, you have made a good morning's work."
"It isn't quite so bad as it might be, after all," said Frank, reappearing with a brighter face. "Maggy had sense enough to see that so many pieces of wood, all the same size and all carefully polished on one side, could not be common kindling wood. The dear old soul said she had put two or three in the stove 'afore she noticed.' But when she came to look, she saw that, she said, 'They was some of Mr. Frank's curiosities and nonsense,' and she carefully laid them all on one side. She shall have the nicest calico dress I can find in Ivanhoe."
"Maggy is a sensible, careful woman," said his mother, looking very much relieved. "I am glad your collection is saved, Frank, and I am sure you won't bear malice to poor Marie."
"Poor Marie!" Marion's proud heart swelled. Had it come to that?
"Of course not," said Frank. "Never mind, Marie; what could one expect but that MeGregors should make raids? We shall have to give you black mail, as people used to give to your forbear, Rob Roy. Come, Bram, let's go and put the stones in order."
Marion had read "Rob Roy," but she was too angry to enjoy the joke, even if it had not been against herself. The moment the boys were gone she burst forth:
"Well, mother, I must say I think you are rather too bad to take the part of those rude boys against me."
"Why not? They were right and you were wrong. I told you specially what I wanted of you; and if you had obeyed, it would have been all right."
"It was just so about Rob's going fishing," continued Marion. "I told him he should not go because it looked likely to rain, and you let him go directly. I don't see how I am to manage at all if you do so; and Cousin Helen is just as bad. If I say a word to the little boys or to Betsy or Eiley in the school-room, all the thanks I get is, 'Marion, don't interfere, if you please,' and of course I can't influence them in the least. I came here to be useful and to help you," said Marion, with pathetic dignity; "but if that is the way it is always going to be, I don't see how I can do anything."
"If you want to help people acceptably, you must do it in their way, and not in yours," said her mother. "It is anything but a help to have you contradict my directions or interfere with the other children. You see what a great misfortune nearly happened this morning simply because you did not obey directions. Only for Maggy's having more observation and discretion than yourself, the whole of Frank's valuable collection would have been destroyed."