r, and hastily
returned in the same direction. The discovery she had just made was of
very serious importance to her; and she felt the necessity of acting on
it with as little delay as possible.

On entering the front room at the lodgings she found Mrs. Wragge just
awake, lost in drowsy bewilderment, with her cap fallen off on her
shoulders, and with one of her shoes missing altogether. Magdalen
endeavored to persuade her that she was tired after her journey, and
that her wisest proceeding would be to go to bed. Mrs. Wragge was
perfectly willing to profit by this suggestion, provided she could find
her shoe first. In looking for the shoe, she unfortunately discovered
the circulars, put by on a side-table, and forthwith recovered her
recollection of the earlier proceedings of the evening.

"Give us the pencil," said Mrs. Wragge, shuffling the circulars in a
violent hurry. "I can't go to bed yet--I haven't half done marking
down the things I want. Let's see; where did I leave off? _Try Finch's
feeding-bottle for Infants._ No! there's a cross against that: the cross
means I don't want it. _Comfort in the Field. Buckler's Indestructible
Hunting-breeches._ Oh dear, dear! I've lost the place. No, I haven't.
Here it is; here's my mark against it. _Elegant Cashmere Robes; strictly
Oriental, very grand; reduced to one pound nineteen-and-sixpence. Be in
time. Only three left._ Only three! Oh, do lend us the money, and let's
go and get one!"

"Not to-night," said Magdalen. "Suppose you go to bed now, and finish
the circulars tomorrow? I will put them by the bedside for you, and you
can go on with them as soon as you wake the first thing in the morning."

This suggestion met with Mrs. Wragge's immediate approval. Magdalen took
her into the next room and put her to bed like a child--with her toys
by her side. The room was so narrow, and the bed was so small; and Mrs.
Wragge, arrayed in the white apparel proper for the occasion, with her
moon-face framed round by a spacious halo of night-cap, looked so hugely
and disproportionately large, that Magdalen, anxious as she was, could
not repress a smile on taking leave of her traveling companion for the
night.

"Aha!" cried Mrs. Wragge, cheerfully; "we'll have that Cashmere Robe
to-morrow. Come here! I want to whisper something to you. Just you look
at me--I'm going to sleep crooked, and the captain's not here to bawl at
me!"

The front room at the lodgings contained a sofa-bedst