oubling Miss Barbara. And once, when
she saw her gazing with an earnest eager glare--and whoever would have
thought of any sort of a glare in Miss Barbara's eyes--upon some
bank-notes which Mrs. Cliff was paying out for a carved cabinet for
which it was a little doubtful if a suitable place could be found, but
which was bought because Miss Eleanor thought it would give an air of
distinction in whatever room it might be placed, Willy began to suspect
the meaning of that unusual exhibition of emotion.

"She's money hungry," she said to herself, "that's what's the matter
with her!" Willy had seen the signs of such hunger before, and she
understood what they meant.

That night Willy lay in her bed, having the very unusual experience of
thinking so much that she could not sleep. Her room adjoined Miss
Barbara's, and the door between them was partly open, for the latter
lady was timid. Perhaps it was because this door was not closed that
Willy was so wakeful and thoughtful, for there was a bright light in the
other room, and she could not imagine why Miss Barbara should be sitting
up so late. It was a proceeding entirely at variance with her usual
habits. She was in some sort of trouble, it was easy to see that, but it
would be a great deal better to go to sleep and try to forget it.

So after a time Willy rose, and, softly stepping over the thick carpet,
looked into the other room. There was Miss Barbara in her day dress,
sitting at a table, her arms upon the table, her head upon her arms,
fast asleep. Upon her pale face there were a great many tear marks, and
Willy knew that she must have cried herself to sleep. A paper was spread
out near her.

Willy was sure that it would be a very mean and contemptible thing for
her to go and look at that paper, and so, perhaps, find out what was
troubling Miss Barbara, but, without the slightest hesitation, she did
it. Her bare feet made no sound upon the carpet, and as she had very
good eyes, it was not necessary for her to approach close to the
sleeper.

It was a bill from William Bullock, a grocer and provision dealer of
Plainton. It contained but one item,--'To bill rendered,' and at the
bottom was a statement in Mr. Bullock's own handwriting to the effect
that if the bill was not immediately paid he would be obliged to put it
into the hands of a collector.

Willy turned and slipped back into her room. Then, after sitting down
upon her bed and getting up again, she stepped bo