ndment, was delighting her class by asking Mr Piper
in a low voice for half-ounces and pen'orths of all sorts of impossible
articles suggested by her active young brain, beginning with sugared
soap, and on through boiled blacklead to peppermint mopsticks.

The terrible moment had come, and Hazel said, as firmly as she could--

"I am not ready with the accounts, Mr Piper; but I will see to them at
once, and--"

"Oh, all right: I'm in no hurry," he replied; and Hazel's heart gave a
leap of relief, but only to sink down heavily the next moment, as he
continued--"I always give one morning a year to this job, so get the
money and a pen and ink, and I'll soon run through it with you."

"You misunderstood me, Mr Piper," faltered Hazel, whose cheeks began to
burn before turning pale with shame. "I have made up the account but I
have not the money ready."

"Couldn't have made out the account properly without the money counted
out ready," he said triumphantly.

"I checked it by the sums I had put down each week, Mr Piper," said
Hazel.

"To be sure. Well, it won't take us long to count the money out."

"But I have not the money by me," said Hazel desperately, for she could
make no excuse at the moment.

"Oh!" said Mr Piper slowly, as he made a curious rasping noise by
rubbing a rough finger upon his closely-shaven cheek: "have not got the
money by you."

"No; not at present," faltered Hazel; and once more the tell-tale blush
came flushing to her cheeks.

"Oh!" said Mr Piper again; and his interjection was as long as a
ten-syllable word.

"I will send or bring it up to you in a few days."

"Oh!" said Mr Piper once more, and he took out his pocket-book at the
same time, but made no attempt to go. He slowly took a pencil from a
sheath at the side, and examined its point before thrusting it in again,
as if trying very hard to make sure that it was a fit.

Hazel was in agony, and would have given anything to be alone, but Mr
Piper went on testing the depth of his pencil-sheath in the leather
pocket-book, and drawing the pencil out again.

"You see, it always has been paid upon the morning I said I'd call.
I've got Mr Chute's money in here."

He slapped his breeches-pocket twice in a very emphatic manner, and
looked at Hazel the while, as if asking her to deny it if she dared.

"I--I was taken rather by surprise," faltered Hazel.

"Nay, nay," said the churchwarden; "I gave you a day's notice."

"Yes," said Haz