Marjorie's eyes opened wide in surprise, and she glanced at the white-capped French maid, who still lingered in the background.
"You are very kind, Aunt Julia," she said politely, "but I don't need any help; I always do everything for myself."
Mrs. Carleton looked a little embarrassed.
"You may go, Hortense," she said, turning to the maid; "Miss Marjorie will ring if she wants you. You mustn't let her think you don't need her, dear," she added in a lower tone, as the maid left the room. "She is rather inclined to be lazy, and she will take advantage of you if you are too easy with her."
Marjorie said nothing, but she was both puzzled and uncomfortable. Mrs. Carleton, however, did not appear to notice that anything was wrong.
"I will leave you for a little while now," she said. "You must make yourself at home; your uncle and I want you to be very happy here."
The quick tears started to Marjorie's eyes, and she impulsively held out her hand to her aunt. But Mrs. Carleton did not notice the gesture, and in another moment she had left the room, closing the door after her. In the entry she encountered Elsie returning from the interview with her father. Elsie was not in the best of spirits.
"Papa has sent me to stay with Marjorie," she said in a discontented whisper. "He says he is afraid she is homesick. Oh, Mamma, did you ever see such clothes?"
"Never mind about the clothes, dear," said her mother, with forced cheerfulness; "we shall soon fit her out with new ones. I think she will really be quite pretty when she is properly dressed."
Elsie shrugged her shoulders, but made no further remarks, and the next moment she was tapping at her cousin's door.