have the ring back to make
your finger look smart for the remainder of your visit. I am
writing in great haste in order to catch this post, so do not fail
me, my love. The ring will be perfectly safe if you register it.
My dear love to Hester and Nan, and much to yourself.--Your
affectionate

"M. WILLIS."

Annie had glanced her eyes quickly over the contents of this disquieting
letter at breakfast time, but it was only now, in the solitude of her
own room, that she ventured to take it out and study it. What was she to
do? How could she possibly get the ring out of pawn without any money to
redeem it? She dared not confide this trouble to Mrs. Martin. She
thought and thought until her head ached and her bright eyes looked
dull.

What kind of man was the pawnbroker? Why were pawnbrokers called uncles?
Was it because they were really good-natured and helpful? She wondered
if it might be possible for her to induce the pawnbroker to let her have
the ring out on condition that she paid for it by instalments? If he
really was quite a good-natured order of uncle, he might consent to such
an arrangement. Annie felt, however, that it would be useless to get
Mrs. Martin to make such terms with him.

"She was very proud about him," thought Annie. "She did not wish to go
to him at all. I'm afraid he's disagreeable. I'm afraid he's not the
sort of man who would help a girl out of a difficulty. What _shall_ I
do? The ring _must_ go to-morrow if Mrs. Willis is to do anything with
it before she leaves Paris. It ought to have gone to-day, but to-morrow
is the very last, the very last chance. We are all going to Nortonbury
to-morrow to buy the materials for the dresses. Oh, suppose I go and see
the pawnbroker and tell him of my difficulty, and assure him that I will
honestly pay him back that money if he will only let me have the ring
again. I have four shillings still in my purse, and father's sovereign
will be certain to come sooner or later. I could show uncle father's
letter, he would then see that I was not humbugging. I expect he would
like me to call him uncle, as it seems to be _the_ name. Yes, I really
think I will go, but I must on no account whatever let Mrs. Martin or
Molly or Hester know anything about this. I should rather like to
confide in Nora, for she would think it no end of a lark; but if I did,
the poor darling would know that I had got into all this trouble o