Friendship and love are humanising things, and by her fourteenth year Marcella was no longer a clever little imp, but a fast-maturing and in some ways remarkable girl, with much of the woman in her already.

She had begun even to feel an interest in her dress, to speculate occasionally on her appearance.

At the fourth breaking-up party after her arrival at Cliff House, Marcella, who had usually figured on these occasions in a linsey-woolsey high to the throat, amid the frilled and sashed splendours of her companions, found lying on her bed, when she went up with the others to dress, a plain white muslin dress with blue ribbons.

It was the gift of old Mademoiselle Renier, who affectionately wished her queer, neglected favourite to look well.

Marcella examined it and fingered it with an excited mixture of feelings.