e responded. "I'm in the usual sort of
scrape."

"Money?" asked Catherine.

"Confound the thing, yes. Why was money invented? It's the plague of
one's life, Catherine. If there was no money there'd be no crime."

"Nonsense," answered Catherine, with shrewdness. "If there wasn't money
there would be its equivalent in some form or other. Are you in debt
again, Loftie?"

"How can I help it? I can't live on my pittance."

"But mother gives you three hundred a year."

"Yes--such a lot! You girls think that a fine sum, I suppose! That's all
you know. Three hundred! It's a pittance. No fellow has a right to go
into the army with such small private means."

"But, Loftie, you would not accept Uncle Roderick Macleod's offer. He
wrote so often, and said he could help you if you joined him in India."

"Yes, I knew what that meant. Now, look here, Kate. We needn't rake up
the past. My lot in life is fixed. I like my profession, but I can't be
expected to care for the beggary which accompanies it. I'm in a scrape,
and I want to see the mater."

"Poor mother! I _wish_ you weren't going to worry her, Loftie."

"It doesn't worry a mother to help her only son."

"But she has helped you so often. You know it was on account of you that
we came down here, because mother had given you so much, and it was the
only way left to us to save. It wasn't at all a good thing for Mabel and
me, for we had to leave our education unfinished. But mother thought it
best. What's the matter, Loftie?"

"Only if you're going on in this strain I'm off to bed. It is hard on a
fellow when he comes once in a while to see his sisters to be called
over the coals by them. You know I'm awfully fond of you, Kitty, and
somehow I thought you'd be a comfort to me. You know very little indeed
of the real worries of life."

Loftus spoke in a tone of such feeling that Catherine's warm heart was
instantly touched.

"I won't say any more," she answered. "I know it isn't right of me. I
always wished and longed to be a help to you, Loftie."

"So you can. You are a dear little sis when you like. You're worth
twenty of May. I think you are going to be a very handsome girl, Kate,
and if you are only fed up properly, and dressed properly, so that the
best points of your figure can be seen--well--now what's the matter?"

"Only I won't have you talking of me as if I were going to be put up to
auction."

"So you will be when you go to London. All girls are. The mot