her advice about the
Thorpedykes.

"The more I think of the plan," she said, "the better I like it! But we
must be very, very careful about what we do. If Miss Eleanor suspects
that I invite them to come to my house because I think they are poor,
she will turn into solid stone, and we will find we cannot move her an
inch,--but I think I can manage it! When we go home, I will tell them
how pleasant we found it for us all to be together, and speak of the
loneliness of my new big house. If I can get Miss Eleanor to believe
that she is doing me a favor, she may be willing to come; but on no
account, Willy, do you say a word to either of them about this plan. If
you do, you will spoil everything, for that's your way, Willy, and you
know it!"

Willy promised faithfully that she would not interfere in the least; but
although she was perfectly satisfied with this arrangement, she was not
happy. How could she be happy knowing what she did about Miss Barbara?
That poor lady was looking sadder than ever, and Willy was very much
afraid that she had had another letter from that horrid Mr. Bullock,
with whom, she was delighted to think, Mrs. Cliff had never dealt.

It would be some days yet before they would go home and make the new
arrangement, and then there would be the bill and the collector, and all
that horrid business, and if Miss Eleanor found out the condition of
affairs,--and if the bill was not paid, she must find out,--she would
never come to them. She would probably stay at home and live on bread!

Now, it so happened that Willy had in her own possession more than
enough money to pay that wretched Bullock bill. Mrs. Cliff made her no
regular allowance, but she had given her all the money that she might
reasonably expect to spend in New York, and Willy had spent but very
little of it, for she found it the most difficult thing in the world to
select what it was she wanted out of all the desirable things she saw.

It would rejoice her heart to transfer this money to Miss Barbara; but
how in the world could she do it? She first thought that she might offer
to buy something that was in the Thorpedyke house, but she knew this
idea was absurd. Then she thought of mentioning, in an off-hand way,
that she would like to put some money out at interest, and thus,
perhaps, induce Miss Barbara to propose a business transaction. But this
would not do. Even Miss Barbara would suspect some concealed motive.
Idea after idea came to