smine. "No wonder the people here look
careworn, and pinched, and old. We'll go back to that house, Primrose.
On the whole, the rooms may suit us. What is the landlady's name?--Oh,
Mrs. Dove. We'll go back to Mrs. Dove and take her rooms."

Accordingly, in a funny little street off the Junction Road, the three
Mainwaring girls found a nest. It was a queer nest, up at the top of a
tall and rambling house; but Mrs. Dove appeared good-natured, and had
no objection to the young ladies doing their own papering and
white-washing, and as Primrose took the rooms on the spot, and paid
a week's rent in advance, she became quite gracious. Every morning,
as soon as ever breakfast was over at Penelope Mansion, the girls
started off to the new home they were preparing for themselves.
There they worked hard, papering, white-washing, and, finally, even
painting. By the end of a week Mrs. Dove scarcely knew her attic
apartments--elegant she now called them--a charming suite. The
enthusiasm of the three young workers even infected Mrs. Dove, who
condescended to clean the windows, and to rub up the shabby furniture,
so that when, at the end of the week, the attics were ready for
occupation, they were by no means so unlike Jasmine's ideal London
rooms as might have been expected. The girls kept their own counsel,
and during the week they were preparing for their flight to Eden
Street--for No. 10 Eden Street would be their future address--they
told no one at Penelope Mansion of their little plans. The good ladies
of the Mansion, Mrs. Flint excepted, were very curious about them;
they wondered why the girls disappeared every day immediately after
breakfast, and came back looking hot and tired, and yet with bright
and contented faces, at night; but Jasmine had ceased to confide in
Mrs. Dredge; and Primrose, when she chose to be dignified, had quite
power enough to keep even Miss Slowcum at a distance. Mrs. Mortlock,
who was stout, and rich, and good-tempered, tried the effect of a
little bribery on Daisy, but the sweet, staunch little maid would not
be corrupted.

"Oh, thank you so much for those delicious chocolate creams," she
said. "Yes, I _do_ love chocolate creams, and you are so kind to give
them to me. Where do we spend our day?--but that is Primrose's
secret--you would not have me so naughty as to tell!"

So the week drew to an end, and the nest, as the girls called their
rooms, was finally ready for its inmates. The snowy-white mu