e broad-arrow stamped on all her clothes. Afterwards, when she
came out again, her poor mother had died, and her grandmother likewise;
and her brother, who was the moral image of Tom there, wouldn't receive
her in his house. I haven't heard of her for a long time back, but most
likely she died in the work-house. Well, Susan, you may take my little
story for what it is worth, and much good may it do you."

"I think you are very rude indeed, Aunt Church," said Susy. "I don't see
that I'm bound to submit to your ugly, cruel words. I like this blouse,
and I'll wear it whenever I wish."

"Oh, hoity-toity!" said the old lady; "impudent as well as everything
else. That I should live to see it!--Mary Hopkins, can it be convenient
to you to let me have the remainder of my hundred pounds? There wasn't
any contract but that I could demand it whenever I wanted it, and it is
about convenient to me that I should have it back now. You owe me
between thirty and forty pounds, and I'd like, I will say, to see the
color of my money. It can't be at all ill-convenient to you to give it
to me when you can afford blouses of that quality for your impudent
young daughter. Real lace, forsooth! I know it when I see it. We'll say
Wednesday week to receive the money, and I will come over in my
bath-chair, drawn by Tom, to take it; and I will give Tom a whole
shilling for himself the day I get it back. That will be quite
convenient to you, Mary Hopkins, won't it?"

"Susy," said poor Mrs. Hopkins, "for goodness' sake, leave the
room.--Aunt Church, you know perfectly well that I am not responsible
for the naughty ways of that naughty little girl. It's apologize to you
she shall, and that before you leave this house. And you know that if
you press me now to return the money in full I'll have to sell up the
shop, and the children won't have anything to eat, and we'll all be
ruined. You wouldn't be as cruel as that to your own flesh and blood,
would you?"

"Well, Mary, I only said it to frighten you. I ain't at all a cruel
woman. On the contrary, I am kind-hearted; but I can't stand the sauce
of that little girl of yours. It's my opinion, Mary, that the lost money
of yours is on the back of your Susan, and the sooner you get her to
confess her sin the better it will be for us all."

Now, before Mrs. Hopkins had time to utter a word with regard to this
preposterous and appalling suggestion of Aunt Church's, there came a
loud knock on the little stree