battle, and the worn-out campaigners who
had put it off defeated.

Naturally, when Minola Grey came in Mrs. Money's way, the sympathy and
interest of the kindly lady were quickened to their keenest. This
beautiful, motherless, fatherless, proud, lonely girl--not so old as
her own Theresa, not older than her own Lucy--living by herself, or
almost by herself, in gloomy lodgings in the heart of London--how could
she fail to be an object of Mrs. Money's deep concern? Of course Mrs.
Money must look into all her affairs, and find out whether she was
poor; and in what sort of way she was living; and whether the people
with whom she lodged were kind to her.

Mary Blanchet's pride of heart can hardly be described when an open
carriage, with a pair of splendid grays, stopped at the door of the
house in the no-thoroughfare street, and a footman got down and
knocked; and it finally appeared that Mrs. Money, Miss Money, and Miss
Lucy Money had called to see Miss Grey. Miss Grey, as it happened, was
not at home, although the servant at first supposed that she was; and
thus the three ladies were shown into Minola's sitting-room, and there
almost instantly captured by Miss Blanchet. We say "almost" because
there was an interval long enough for Lucy to dart about the room from
point to point, taking up a book here, a piece of music there, an
engraving, a photograph, or a flower, and pronouncing everything
delightful. The room was old-fashioned, spacious, and solid, very
unlike the tiny apartments of the ordinary West End lodging; and, what
with the flowers and the books, it really looked rather an attractive
place to enthusiastic eyes. Miss Money kept her eyes on the ground for
the most part, and professed to take little notice of the ordinary
adornments of rooms; for Miss Money was a saint, and was furthermore
engaged to a man not far from her father's years, who, having made a
great deal of money at the Parliamentary bar, was now thinking of
entering the Church, and had already set about the building of a temple
of mediaeval style, in the progress of which Miss Money naturally was
deeply interested.

Miss Blanchet was in a flutter of excitement as she entered the
sitting-room. As she was crossing its threshold she was considering
whether she ought to present a copy of her poems to each of the three
ladies or only to Mrs. Money; or whether she ought to tender the gift
now or send it on by the post. The solemn eyes and imposing prese