ear."

"Oh, that doesn't matter. I earnestly wish you would take it as a gift."

"Thank you, but that is impossible."

Effie stood up; she had nothing further to say.

"May I take you to my wife's room now?" said, the Squire. "I know she is
waiting to see you, she is longing to be friends with you. Her recovery
has been wonderful; and as to little Freda, she is almost herself again.
You would like to see Freda, would you not?"

"Yes," said Effie, "but not to-day--I must hurry back to my mother. I
don't know how to thank you, Mr. Harvey. Will you please tell
your--your wife that I cannot stay to-day?--my mother wants me. Thank
you--thank you."

The Squire himself showed Effie out. He stood for a moment by his open
hall door, watched her as she walked slowly down the avenue.

"That is a plucky little thing," he said to himself. "Now, what in the
world does she want that money for? Not for herself, I'll be bound. I do
hope she has got no disreputable relations hanging onto her. Well, at
least it is my bounden duty to help her, but I wish she would confide in
me. She is a pretty girl, too, and has a look of the doctor about her
eyes."

"Where is Miss Staunton?" asked Mrs. Harvey, coming forward.

"Vanishing round that corner, my love," returned the Squire. "The fact
is, the poor little thing is completely upset, and cannot face anyone."

"But her business, Walter--what did she want?"

"Ah, that's the secret--she made me swear not to tell anyone. It is my
opinion, Elfreda, that the child has got into trouble. We must do what
we can for her."

"I wish she would come here and be Freda's governess," said Mrs. Harvey.

The Squire looked at his wife.

"That's a good thought," he remarked; "and we might give her a big
salary--she is so innocent, she would not really know anything about it.
We might give her two hundred a year, and then she could help her
mother; but I doubt whether she would leave her mother--she seems simply
bound up in her."

"It is our duty to help her," said Mrs. Harvey, "whatever happens. If
she won't come to us, we must think of some other way."

"Yes we must," said the Squire.

CHAPTER XIII.

In less than six weeks the Stauntons were settled in London. George had
taken lodgings for them in a cheap part of Bayswater. The rooms were
high up in a dismal sort of house. There were a sitting room and three
small bedrooms. George occupied one--Effie and the girls another--Mrs.
Staunt