nly nothing very good
to tell her; and I have undoubtedly no time to waste over her this
morning."

Aloud, however, he said to his clerk--

"Ask Miss Mainwaring to step this way--and, Dawson, order my trap to
be at the door in ten minutes."

"I won't keep you very long, Mr. Danesfield," began Primrose, in a
quick and rather nervous manner for her.

Mr. Danesfield was always the soul of politeness, however irritable he
might feel.

"Sit down, my dear young lady," he said; "I am delighted to see you,
and I can give you exactly five minutes."

"I want to ask you two questions," began Primrose. "The questions are
short. They are about money; and you understand all about that."

"Not all, my dear girl--money is far too great a theme to be wholly
comprehended by one single individual."

Primrose tapped her foot impatiently--then, after a brief pause, she
raised her clear brown eyes, and looked full at the banker.

"How much money have we in the bank, Mr. Danesfield?"

"My dear child, not much--very little, scarcely anything. 'Pon my
word, I am sorry for you, but your entire capital does not amount to
quite two hundred pounds."

Primrose received this information calmly.

"Thank you," she said--"I just wanted to know from yourself. Now, I
have one other question to ask you, and then I will go. My sisters and
I have thirty pounds a year to live on. By drawing a little on our
capital, say, taking ten or fifteen pounds a year from it, can we
live, Mr. Danesfield?"

Mr. Danesfield rose from his seat, and coming over to Primrose, laid
his hand on her shoulder--

"Live! my poor, dear child; you and your sisters would starve. No,
Miss Mainwaring, there is nothing for you three girls to do but to
turn to and earn your living. Your friends, I doubt not, will help,
and you must take their help. I shall be delighted to give advice.
Now, my dear child, my trap is at the door, and I must go. Good
morning--good morning."

CHAPTER IX.

A STRANGE LETTER AND A PROPOSED VISIT TO LONDON.

Primrose was always direct in her movements--she made up her mind
quickly; from her earliest childhood she was in the habit of acting
with decision.

After her short interview with Mr. Danesfield she went straight home,
and without paying any attention to the clear voice of her pet Daisy,
who called to her from the garden, or to Jasmine's little
impatient--"Sister, I want you to help me to arrange the trimming on
my new black s