taying.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

CUT OFF WITH A SHILLING.

Never was a little maid-of-all-work more excited than Anne on the night
on which her mistress was expected home from Torquay. A secret--quite a
great secret--had been burning a hole in her heart ever since Monday,
and to-night she expected this secret to result in something grand. Anne
felt that the days of poverty for the family were over; the days for
scraping and toiling were at an end. The uncle from Australia would
give her missis everything that money could buy; he must be a very rich
man indeed, for had he not given her a sovereign? Whoever before had
even dreamed of giving little hard-worked Anne a sovereign? It meant
unheard-of wealth to this childish soul of sixteen; it filled her with
delight, and, carefully put away in a little gingham bag, it lay golden
and warm now against her heart.

But Anne's honest little heart had another and less selfish cause for
rejoicing. It was she who was bringing this uncle and niece to meet
again; but for her prompt interference Daisy and her great-uncle would
never have discovered their relationship; but for her the uncle, so
blessed with riches, would not have known where to seek for his niece.
In a big place like London was it likely, was it at all likely, that
they would meet? No, no, he would look for his poor dead sister for a
little while, and then go back to Australia, and perhaps give his money
to some one else. Anne felt that the family owed her a great deal; but
she had full confidence in them, and felt sure that in their rise in
life they would not forget her. Missis could keep plenty of servants
now; she would have a cook and a housemaid, and probably some one to
help in the nursery. This was what a family whom Anne thought immensely
wealthy, did in a house just round the corner. In that case she, Anne,
would be promoted to the proud position of head nurse--head nurse with
wages--well, say wages as high as L13 a year. Even to think of being
raised to so dazzling a height made Anne's head a trifle giddy. On the
strength of it, and all the riches in prospect, she became quite
reckless in preparing missis's tea. She put out the best table-linen,
and all the silver the house possessed, and she filled a great dish with
water-cresses, and had hot buttered scones and a seed-cake and
eggs--rather fresh for London--and finally half a pound of sliced ham.

She was standing contemplating her well-laden board wh