n) at your finger-ends, so I can only hope you'll not starve
whilst your native air is bringing you to your senses. I will see to
your various commissions, and if I can be of further use to you up here,

"I am, as I have ever been,

"Your humble, but not always obedient servant,
"ROSE."

This concluded what may be termed the social portion of my
correspondence, and I took up the other letters with less zest. One, a
mere formal acknowledgment of my changed address, was from the bankers
who have the privilege of taking care of my money, and who have never
manifested any sense of oppression under the responsibility.
Nevertheless, two hundred and forty odd pounds is something to fall
back upon, and it looms large when it represents savings; and in any
case it is all I have except the interest which comes to me from a few
small investments--all that was rescued from the wreck of my father's
fortunes. Well, well! I am a good deal richer than some very wealthy
people I have met.

Two others were business communications from firms which give me
employment, and I may frankly admit that I was just a little relieved
to find that distance was not going to affect our relationships. Not
that I had been actually uneasy on that score, for I have discernment
enough to know my own value. I am not a genius, but what I _can_ do is
_well_ done; and I have lived long enough to discover that that counts
for much in these days. The parcels which accompanied the letters
contained sufficient work for a month at least.

Then came a letter from Shuter and Lenz with all sorts of suggestions
for the furnishing of my studio. The consideration of this occupied a
couple of hours, but my list was made out at last, and I expect I shall
receive the bulk of the goods before the end of next week. Transit
between London and Windyridge is quick--much more so than I
anticipated, for my boxes were delivered during the afternoon, and I
spent the rest of the day and some part of the night in unpacking them.
It was no easy matter to find storage for my small possessions, but I
accomplished it in the end, and arranged all my household goods to the
best possible advantage.

Since then I have been sewing for all I am worth. The joint
establishments do not boast the possession of a sewing machine, so I
have had to make my studio curtains by hand. Mother Hubbard was
delighted to be able to help in this department, and between us we
finished them