er,
Agatha left her.

CHAPTER XVII

Elfie's Choice

'Go, whate'er the lot may be
That my Father sends to me,
Never am I comfortless
With His Word to aid and bless;
And while He His help is bringing,
I will cheer the way with singing.'--_Farningham._

Gwen refused to have her breakfast in bed the next morning, and
appeared downstairs at the usual hour with a white determined face.

She looked in astonishment at Elfie, who was flitting round the room
singing merrily, as she added fresh flowers to the vases on the
breakfast table.

'Well,' said Elfie, a little defiantly, 'I am not going to be
miserable, even if we have lost our money. There is no death in the
house, and they say beggars have lighter hearts than kings!'

And she would not have breakfast a silent meal, but chatted and
laughed, and had so much to tell Gwen of all that had happened during
her absence, that she infected the others with her light-hearted gaiety.

It was after Agatha had done her housekeeping that, sitting round the
fire, Gwen gave them full details of all they wished to know. She did
not spare herself, and her sisters wondered at the change in her, for
never before in their lives had they known Gwen to own herself in the
wrong. Then ways and means were discussed, Agatha declared she would
send away the two maids at once, and then with the help of a woman from
the village, she was sure they could still live together on her income;
but this the others would not hear of.

'I would set up a village shop if I had capital,' asserted Gwen, with a
little of her old spirit; 'the _role_ of governess for needy women is
past and gone; but for myself I know I shall not do better than stick
to literature. I can write, and I have had many openings which I have
refused, because I did not want the grind of it. If I set to work in
earnest now, I shall soon bring some grist to the mill.'

'By the bye,' said Agatha, 'I wonder if you could make anything of a
fat bundle of manuscripts that Mr. Lester bequeathed to me. I know you
love any ancient papers, and though they're Latin and Greek to me, you
may make something of them.'

She left the room, and soon returned with the papers. Gwen's eyes
glistened as she looked them through. And she seemed to forget time
and surroundings as she sat down and pored over them with eager
interest.

At last she looked up.

Agatha, if I can put these together, it will prove a valuable le