ly I was
engaged to dance with him twice more; and I didn't choose to do so."

"Was he--? Did he--?"

"Oh, mamma; I can't tell you. I don't know how to tell you. I wish
you knew it all without my saying anything. He says he shall come
here to-morrow if I don't go up to the brewery; and I can't possibly
go there now, after that."

"Did he say anything more than that, Rachel?"

"He calls me Rachel, and speaks--I can't tell you how he speaks. If
you think it wrong, mamma, I won't ever see him again."

Mrs. Ray didn't know whether she ought to think it wrong or not. She
was inclined to wish that it was right and to believe that it was
wrong. A few minutes ago Rachel was unable to open her mouth, and was
anxious to escape to bed; but, now that the ice was broken between
her and her mother, they sat up for more than an hour talking about
Luke Rowan.

"I wonder whether he will really come?" Rachel said to herself, as
she laid her head upon her pillow--"and why does he want to come?"

CHAPTER IX.

MR. PRONG AT HOME.

Mrs. Tappitt's ball was celebrated on a Tuesday, and on the preceding
Monday Mrs. Prime moved herself off, bag and baggage, to Miss
Pucker's lodgings. Miss Pucker had been elated with a dismal joy
when the proposition was first made to her. "Oh, yes; it was very
dreadful. She would do anything;--of course she would give up the
front bedroom up-stairs to Mrs. Prime, and get a stretcher for
herself in the little room behind, which looked out on the tiles of
Griggs' sugar warehouse. She hadn't thought such a thing would have
been possible; she really had not. A ball! Mrs. Prime couldn't help
coming away;--of course not. And there would be plenty of room for
all her boxes in the small room behind the shop. Mrs. Ray's daughter
go to a ball!" And then some threatening words were said as to the
destiny of wicked people, which shall not be repeated here.

That flitting had been a very dismal affair. An old man out of
Baslehurst had come for Mrs. Prime's things with a donkey-cart, and
the old man, assisted by the girl, had carried them out together.
Rachel had remained secluded in her mother's room. The two sisters
had met at the same table at breakfast, but had not spoken over their
tea and bread and butter. As Rachel was taking the cloth away Mrs.
Prime had asked her solemnly whether she still persisted in bringing
perdition upon herself and her mother. "You have no right to ask me
such a question,"