aid-servant who had hitherto done the work of the
household--a fact which meant that Janetta, with the help of a charity
orphan of thirteen, did it nearly all herself.

"I might send home enough money for you to keep an efficient servant,
mamma," she said one day, "if I could go away and find a good
situation."

It never occurred either to her or to her stepmother that any of her
earnings were to belong to Janetta, or be used for her behoof.

"It would have to be a very good situation indeed, then," said Mrs.
Colwyn, with sharpness. "I don't suppose you could get more than fifty
pounds a year--if so much. And fifty pounds would not go far if we had a
woman in the house to feed and pay wages to. No, you had better stay at
home and get some daily teaching in the neighborhood. With your
recommendations it ought to be easy enough for you to do so."

"I am afraid not," said Janetta, with a little sigh.

"Nonsense! You could get some if you tried--if you had any energy, any
spirit: I suppose you would like to sit with your hands before you,
doing nothing, while I slaved my fingers to the bone for you," said Mrs.
Colwyn, who never got up till noon, or did anything but gossip and read
novels when she was up; "but I would be ashamed to do that if I were a
well-educated girl, whose father spent I don't know how much on her
voice, and expected her to make a living for herself by the time she was
one-and-twenty! I must say, Janetta, that I think it very wrong of you
to be so slack in trying to earn a little money, when Nora and Georgie
and Joey are all out in the world doing for themselves, and you sitting
here at home doing nothing at all."

"I am sorry, mamma," said Janetta, meekly. "I will try to get something
to do at once."

She did not think of reminding Mrs. Colwyn that she had been up since
six o'clock that morning helping the charity orphan to scrub and scour,
cooking, making beds, sewing, teaching Tiny between whiles, and scarcely
getting five minutes' rest until dinner-time. She only began to wonder
how she could manage to get all her tasks into the day if she had
lessons to give as well. "I suppose I must sit up at night and get up
earlier in the morning," she thought to herself. "It is a pity I am such
a sleepy person. But use reconciles one to all things."

Mrs. Colwyn meanwhile went on lecturing.

"And above all things, Janetta, remember that you ask high terms and get
the money always in advance. You are j