after her mother's death she published her first book at her own expense.
It was a dead failure and cost her fifty-two pounds, the balance between
the profit and loss account. After awhile, however, she recovered from
this blow, and wrote "Jemima's Vow," which was taken up by Meeson's; and,
strange as it may seem, proved the success of the year. Of the nature of
the agreement into which she entered with Meeson's, the reader is already
acquainted, and he will not therefore be surprised to learn that under
its cruel provisions Augusta, notwithstanding her name and fame, was
absolutely prohibited from reaping the fruits of her success. She could
only publish with Meesons's, and at the fixed pay of seven per cent on
the advertised price of her work. Now, something over three years had
elapsed since the death of Mrs. Smithers, and it will therefore be
obvious that there was not much remaining of the six hundred pounds which
she had left behind her. The two girls had, indeed, lived economically
enough in a couple of small rooms in a back street; but their expenses
had been enormously increased by the serious illness, from a pulmonary
complaint, of the little girl Jeannie, now a child between twelve and
thirteen years of age. On that morning, Augusta had seen the doctor and
been crushed into the dust by the expression of his conviction, that,
unless her little sister was moved to a warmer climate, for a period of
at least a year, she would not live through the winter, and _might_ die
at any moment.

Take Jeannie to a warmer climate! He might as well have told Augusta to
take her to the moon. Alas, she had not the money and did not know where
to turn to get it! Oh! reader, pray to Heaven that it may never be your
lot to see your best beloved die for the want of a few hundred pounds
wherewith to save her life!

It was in this terrible emergency that she had--driven thereto by her
agony of mind--tried to get something beyond her strict and legal due out
of Meeson's--Meeson's that had made hundreds and hundreds out of her book
and paid her fifty pounds. We know how she fared in that attempt. On
leaving their office, Augusta bethought her of her banker. Perhaps he
might be willing to advance something. It was a horrible task, but she
determined to undertake it; so she walked to the bank and asked to see
the manager. He was out, but would be in at three o'clock. She went to a
shop near and got a bun and glass of milk, and waited t