CAPÍTULO I.

UNA AMISTAD INADECUADA.

Janetta era la institutriz de música, una cosita morena sin particular importancia, y

Margaret Adair era una belleza y una heredera, y la única hija de personas que se

consideraban muy distinguidas; de modo que las dos no tenían, podría pensarse,

mucho en común, y no era probable que se sintieran atraídas la una por la otra. Sin

embargo, a pesar de las diferentes circunstancias, eran amigas íntimas y aliadas, y lo

habían sido desde que estaban juntas en la misma escuela de moda, donde la señorita

Adair era la favorita de todos, y Janetta Colwyn la alumna-profesora con los vestidos

más raídos, que recibía todos los desaires y hacía la mayor parte del trabajo duro. Y el

apego de la señorita Adair a la pobre Janetta causó una gran ofensa en varias

direcciones.

"Es una amistad inadecuada", observó en más de una ocasión la señorita

Polehampton, directora del colegio, "y estoy segura de que no sé cómo le gustará a

lady Caroline".
 Lady Caroline era, por supuesto, la madre de Margaret Adair.

La señorita Polehampton sintió tan agudamente su responsabilidad en el asunto que al

final resolvió hablar "muy seriamente" con su querida Margaret. Siempre hablaba de

"su querida Margaret", solía decir Janetta, cuando iba a resultar especialmente

desagradable. Porque "su querida Margaret" era la alumna predilecta, la alumna

modelo del establecimiento: su aire de perfecta crianza daba distinción, pensaba la

señorita Polehampton, a toda la escuela; y su refinamiento, su conducta ejemplar, su

laboriosidad y su talento constituían el tema de muchos sermones a los alumnos

menos aventajados y menos decorosos. Porque, contrariamente a lo que se pensaba,

Margaret Adair no era estúpida, aunque era hermosa y bien educada. Era una

muchacha sumamente inteligente; tenía aptitudes para varias artes y oficios, y

destacaba por la delicadeza de su gusto y el exquisito discernimiento del que a veces

era capaz. Al mismo tiempo, no era tan inteligente ("no tan deslumbrantemente

inteligente", dijo una vez una amiga suya) como la pequeña Janetta Colwyn, cuyo ágil
 ingenio acumulaba conocimientos como una abeja recoge miel en las circunstancias

más desfavorables. Janetta tenía que aprender sus lecciones cuando las otras niñas se

habían ido a la cama, en una pequeña habitación bajo el tejado; una habitación que era

como una nevera en invierno y un horno en verano; nunca era capaz de llegar a

tiempo a sus clases, y a menudo las perdía por completo; pero, a pesar de estas

desventajas, generalmente demostraba ser la alumna más avanzada de su división, y si

a las alumnas-maestras se les hubiera permitido recibir premios, se habría llevado

todos los primeros premios de la escuela. Esto, por supuesto, no estaba permitido. No 3

CHAPTER I.

AN UNSUITABLE FRIENDSHIP.

Janetta was the music governess—a brown little thing of no particular importance, and

Margaret Adair was a beauty and an heiress, and the only daughter of people who

thought themselves very distinguished indeed; so that the two had not, you might think,
very much in common, and were not likely to be attracted one to the other. Yet, in spite

of differing circumstances, they were close friends and allies; and had been such ever

since they were together at the same fashionable school where Miss Adair was the

petted favorite of all, and Janetta Colwyn was the pupil-teacher in the shabbiest of

frocks, who got all the snubbing and did most of the hard work. And great offence was

given in several directions by Miss Adair's attachment to poor little Janetta.

"It is an unsuitable friendship," Miss Polehampton, the principal of the school, observed

on more than one occasion, "and I am sure I do not know how Lady Caroline will like

it."

Lady Caroline was, of course, Margaret Adair's mamma.

Miss Polehampton felt her responsibility so keenly in the matter that at last she resolved

to speak "very seriously" to her dear Margaret. She always talked of "her dear

Margaret," Janetta used to say, when she was going to make herself particularly

disagreeable. For "her dear Margaret" was the pet pupil, the show pupil of the

establishment: her air of perfect breeding gave distinction, Miss Polehampton thought,
 to the whole school; and her refinement, her exemplary behavior, her industry, and her

talent formed the theme of many a lecture to less accomplished and less decorous pupils.

For, contrary to all conventional expectations, Margaret Adair was not stupid, although

she was beautiful and well-behaved. She was an exceedingly intelligent girl; she had an

aptitude for several arts and accomplishments, and she was remarkable for the delicacy

of her taste and the exquisite discrimination of which she sometimes showed herself

capable. At the same time she was not as clever—("not as glaringly clever," a friend of

hers once expressed it)—as little Janetta Colwyn, whose nimble wits gathered

knowledge as a bee collects honey under the most unfavorable circumstances. Janetta

had to learn her lessons when the other girls had gone to bed, in a little room under the

roof; a room which was like an ice-house in winter and an oven in summer; she was

never able to be in time for her classes, and she often missed them altogether; but, in

spite of these disadvantages, she generally proved herself the most advanced pupil in

her division, and if pupil-teachers had been allowed to take prizes, would have carried
off every first prize in the school. This, to be sure, was not allowed. It would not have 6