pied by the late Mr Sharnall. She was alone, for Anastasia had
gone to the office of the _Cullerne Advertiser_ with an announcement in
which one A.J. intimated that she was willing to take a post as
nursery-governess. It was a bright morning but cold, and Miss Joliffe
drew an old white knitted shawl closer about her, for there was no fire
in the grate. There was no fire because she could not afford it, yet
the sun pouring in through the windows made the room warmer than the
kitchen, where the embers had been allowed to die out since breakfast.
She and Anastasia did without fire on these bright autumn days to save
coals; they ate a cold dinner, and went early to bed for the same
reason, yet the stock in the cellar grew gradually less. Miss Joliffe
had examined it that very morning, and found it terribly small; nor was
there any money nor any credit left with which to replenish it.

On the table before her was a pile of papers, some yellow, some pink,
some white, some blue, but all neatly folded. They were folded
lengthways and to the same breadth, for they were Martin Joliffe's
bills, and he had been scrupulously neat and orderly in his habits. It
is true that there were among them some few that she had herself
contracted, but then she had always been careful to follow exactly her
brother's method both of folding and also of docketing them on the
exterior. Yes, no doubt she was immediately responsible for some, and
she knew just which they were from the outside without any need to open
them. She took up one of them: "Rose and Storey, importers of French
millinery, flowers, feathers, ribbons, etcetera. Mantle and jacket
show-rooms." Alas, alas! how frail is human nature! Even in the midst
of her misfortunes, even in the eclipse of old age, such words stirred
Miss Joliffe's interest--flowers, feathers, ribbons, mantles, and
jackets; she saw the delightful show-room 19, 20, 21, and 22, Market
Place, Cullerne--saw it in the dignified solitude of a summer morning
when a dress was to be tried on, saw it in the crush and glorious
scramble of a remnant sale. "Family and complimentary mourning,
costumes, skirts, etcetera; foreign and British silks, guaranteed
makes." After that the written entry seemed mere bathos: "Material and
trimming one bonnet, 11 shillings and 9 pence; one hat, 13 shillings 6
pence. Total, 1 pound 5 shillings 3 pence." It really was not worth
while making a fuss about, and the bunch of cherrie