before maggie oliphant left st. benet's she brought some of the honor which had long been expected from her to the dearly loved halls: she took a first class in her tripos examination. with her mind at rest, a great deal of the morbidness of her character disappeared, and her last term at st. benet's reminded the students who had known her in annabel lee's time of the old, brilliant and happy maggie. miss oliphant's bad half-hours became rarer and rarer, and hammond laughed when she spoke to him of them and said that she could not expect him to believe in their existence.

shortly after the conclusion of the summer term maggie and hammond were married, and her little world at st. benet's had to get on without the presence which had always exerted the influence of a strong personality and which had been potent both for good and evil.

by this time, however, a girl whose personal charms were few, whose poverty was apparent and whose gaucherie was even now often extreme, was more than filling the place left vacant by maggie. extreme earnestness, the sincerity of a noble purpose, the truthfulness of a nature which could not stoop to deceit, was spreading an influence on the side of all that was good and noble. no girl did more honor to heath hall than she who, at one time, was held up to derision and laughed at as odd, prudish and uninteresting.

every one prophesied well for priscilla in the future which lay before her; her feet were set in the right direction; the aim of her life was to become— not learned, but wise; not to build up a reputation, but to gain character; to put blessedness before happiness— duty before inclination.

women like priscilla live at the root of the true life of a worthy nation. maggie oliphant had brilliance, beauty, wealth; she had also strong personal influence and the power of creating love wherever she went; but, when priscilla peel leaves st. benet's, she will be more missed than was maggie.