o us in the village this
May morning. At every door they gave silver. See how generous they
have been--twelve shillings. Now we are a match for Miss Barbara. You
won't like to leave home, so I'll go to her, and you shall see your
guinea-hen in ten minutes."

Rose hurried away, filled with joy at the thought that soon she would
return to Susan with her lost bird.

Miss Barbara's maid, Betty, was the first person she saw on reaching
the Attorney's house. Rose said she must see Barbara and was shown
into a parlor where the young lady sat reading a book.

"How you startled me! Is it only you?" she said, looking up and seeing
no one but the maid. Then, as she caught sight of Rose, she went on,
"You should have said I was not at home. Pray, my good girl, what do
you want?" she said, turning to Rose. "Is it to borrow or to beg that
you are here?"

"The person from whom I come does not wish either to borrow or to beg,
but to pay for what she asks," answered Rose. Then opening her
well-filled purse, she held out to Barbara a bright shilling, saying,
"Now please be so good as to give me Susan's guinea-hen."

"You may keep your shilling," replied Barbara. "It would have been
enough if it had been paid yesterday when I asked for it, but I told
Susan that as it was not paid then I should keep the hen, and I shall.
You may go back and tell her so."

While Barbara spoke she had been looking into the open purse in Rose's
hand. She thought she could count at least ten shillings. Could she
not manage to get at least five of them for the guinea-hen, she
wondered?

Rose little guessed what was going on in Barbara's mind, and exclaimed
angrily, "We must have Susan's favorite hen, whatever it costs. If one
shilling won't do, take two. If two won't do, take three," and she
flung the coins one after the other on the table.

"Three won't do," said Barbara.

"Then take four."

Barbara shook her head.

A fifth shilling was offered, but Barbara, seeing that she had the
game in her own hands, was silent.

Then Rose threw down shilling after shilling, till twelve bright
pieces lay on the table, and her purse was empty.

"Now you may take the guinea-hen," said Barbara.

Rose pushed the money towards the greedy girl, but at the same moment
remembered that it had not belonged to herself alone. At once she
seized the silver coins, and saying that she must first see if the
friends with whom she shared them were willing to part with the