d any one from ever
being rude to her, she went, not to her china-painting as usual, but
simply to take exercise in the London streets.

The fact was, Primrose wanted to be alone--she wanted to think out a
problem. She was beginning to be perplexed, and even slightly alarmed.
Her alarm was not caused at present by anything in connection with
Daisy, for Daisy seemed almost bright and well again; but money
matters were not too prosperous with the young housekeeper, the life
of independence she had hoped to attain for herself and her sisters
seemed to recede from her view day by day--the china-painting brought
in no apparent results; Mr. Jones never did anything except "all but"
get customers--the quarter's allowance from Mr. Danesfield looked
smaller and more inadequate to Primrose the more her experience in
expenses grew, and now something about Miss Egerton added to her
cares. It seemed to Primrose that Miss Egerton was holding back
something--she had always been frank and open with the girls, but when
Primrose asked her how much their furniture had cost, and whether she
had opened Mr. Danesfield's letter to pay for it the good lady's brow
had grown troubled, and she had replied--

"I am busy to-day--I will go fully into the matter presently,
Primrose;" but when morning after morning Miss Egerton was still too
busy to go into the question, Primrose began to have nameless little
fears, and had to scold herself for being fanciful and nervous.

On this afternoon she walked quickly, and without being herself aware
of it she presently found herself in the neighborhood of Regent's
Park, and at last not very far from Penelope Mansion. She was thinking
hard, and paying little attention to any of the objects that met her
eyes, when she was suddenly pulled up short by a round and hearty
voice, a fat hand was laid on her shoulder, and she found herself face
to face with Mrs. Dredge.

"Well, my dear, how are you, Miss Mainwaring? Oh, yes, I'm delighted
to see you. You did give us the slip, you and your pretty sisters. I
don't think Mrs. Flint quite liked it; we all questioned her, me, and
Miss Slowcum, and Mrs. Mortlock, and we said, 'At any rate give us
their address, Mrs. Flint--we take an interest in them--they are
pretty-spoken young ladies, and they were a credit to the
establishment.' But Mrs. Flint only frowned and bit her lips, and
colored. Then Mrs. Mortlock put her foot in it as far as Miss Slowcum
was concerned, for