to do. Put down your money this instant.'

The obedient figure began to rummage in its pockets.

'Spent a fortune out of your wages, I'll be bound!' said the person of
the house. 'Put it here! All you've got left! Every farthing!'

Such a business as he made of collecting it from his dogs'-eared
pockets; of expecting it in this pocket, and not finding it; of not
expecting it in that pocket, and passing it over; of finding no pocket
where that other pocket ought to be!

'Is this all?' demanded the person of the house, when a confused heap of
pence and shillings lay on the table.

'Got no more,' was the rueful answer, with an accordant shake of the
head.

'Let me make sure. You know what you've got to do. Turn all your pockets
inside out, and leave 'em so!' cried the person of the house.

He obeyed. And if anything could have made him look more abject or more
dismally ridiculous than before, it would have been his so displaying
himself.

'Here's but seven and eightpence halfpenny!' exclaimed Miss Wren, after
reducing the heap to order. 'Oh, you prodigal old son! Now you shall be
starved.'

'No, don't starve me,' he urged, whimpering.

'If you were treated as you ought to be,' said Miss Wren, 'you'd be fed
upon the skewers of cats' meat;--only the skewers, after the cats had
had the meat. As it is, go to bed.'

When he stumbled out of the corner to comply, he again put out both his
hands, and pleaded: 'Circumstances over which no control--'

'Get along with you to bed!' cried Miss Wren, snapping him up. 'Don't
speak to me. I'm not going to forgive you. Go to bed this moment!'

Seeing another emphatic 'What' upon its way, he evaded it by complying
and was heard to shuffle heavily up stairs, and shut his door, and throw
himself on his bed. Within a little while afterwards, Lizzie came down.

'Shall we have our supper, Jenny dear?'

'Ah! bless us and save us, we need have something to keep us going,'
returned Miss Jenny, shrugging her shoulders.

Lizzie laid a cloth upon the little bench (more handy for the person of
the house than an ordinary table), and put upon it such plain fare as
they were accustomed to have, and drew up a stool for herself.

'Now for supper! What are you thinking of, Jenny darling?'

'I was thinking,' she returned, coming out of a deep study, 'what I
would do to Him, if he should turn out a drunkard.'

'Oh, but he won't,' said Lizzie. 'You'll take care of that, beforehand.'

'I