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[Illustration: With these words, he left the somewhat desolate little girl.--_Page 30._]
AUTHOR OF "OCEAN'S GIRLHOOD," "A WILD IRISH GIRL," "THE GIRLS OF MERTON COLLEGE," "FOR DEAR DAD," "KITTY O'DONOVAN," "PEGGY FROM KERRY," "THE CHESTERTON GIRL GRADUATES," "THE GIRLS OF KING'S ROYAL," "THE LADY OF JERRY BOY'S DREAMS," "A PLUCKY GIRL," "THE QUEEN OF JOY," ETC., ETC.
_WITH FOUR HALF-TONE DRAWINGS BY CHARLES L. WRENN_
PAGE With these words, he left the somewhat desolate little girl _Frontispiece_
She nestled more snugly than ever into her grandfather's arms 100
Never was there anything quite so delightful as that ride 207
They did find wonderful mosses and * * * snow drops and even primroses 349
My noble, lovely, little Peggy, Let this my First Epistle beg ye, At dawn of morn, and close of even, To lift your heart and hands to Heaven. In double duty say your prayer; "Our Father" first, then "_Notre Père_."
And, dearest child, along the day, In everything you do and say, Obey and please my lord and lady, So God shall love and angels aid ye.
If to these precepts you attend, No second letter need I send, And so I rest your constant friend.
CHAPTER PAGE I. THE CHILD WHO WON HEARTS 1
IX. THE ENGLISH GIRLS AT THE SCHOOL OF LA PRINCESSE 131
X. THOU ART FAITHFUL AND SO ARE MY BEES 148
XXII. IT IS JOYFUL TO BEHOLD THEE, MY PUSHKEEN 342
XXIII. THE GLORIOUS SOFTNESS OF IRELAND 349
XXIV. A POUND A DAY--A PICTURE AND A WEDDING 368
Marguerite St. Juste was Irish on her mother's side, who was born of the Desmonds of Desmondstown in the County Kerry. Marguerite's father was a French Comte, whose grandfather had been one of the victims of the guillotine.
Little Marguerite lived with an uncle, who was really only that relation by marriage; his name was the Reverend John Mansfield. He had a large living in a large town about fifty miles from London, and he adopted Marguerite shortly after the death of her parents. This tragedy happened when she was very young, almost a baby. She did not in the least remember her father, whose dancing black eyes and merry ways had endeared him to all who knew him. Nor did she recall a single fact with regard to her mother--one of those famous Desmonds, who had joined the rebels in the great insurrection of '97, and whose people still lived and prospered and were gay and merry of the merry on their somewhat tattered and worn-out country estate.