may seem, it 's a
fact, Polly, that I 'm half glad it 's happened, for it takes me out of
myself, and gives me something to do."

Fanny's eyes fell and her color rose as she spoke, but Polly understood
why she wanted to forget herself, and put her arm round her with a more
tender sympathy than Fanny guessed.

"Perhaps things are not as bad as they seem; I don't know much about
such matters, but I 've seen people who have failed, and they seemed
just as comfortable as before," said Polly.

"It won't be so with us, for papa means to give up everything, and not
have a word said against him. Mamma's little property is settled upon
her, and has n't been risked. That touched her so much! She dreads
poverty even more than I do, but she begged him to take it if it would
help him. That pleased him, but he said nothing would induce him to
do it, for it would n't help much, and was hardly enough to keep her
comfortable."

"Do you know what he means to do?" asked Polly, anxiously.

"He said his plans were not made, but he meant to go into the little
house that belonged to grandma, as soon as he could, for it was n't
honest for a bankrupt to keep up an establishment like this."

"I shan't mind that at all, I like the little house 'cause it 's got a
garden, and there 's a cunning room with a three-cornered closet in it
that I always wanted. If that 's all, I don't think bankrupting is so
very bad," said Maud, taking a cheerful view of things.

"Ah, just wait till the carriage goes and the nice clothes and the
servants, and we have to scratch along as we can. You 'll change
your mind then, poor child," said Fanny, whose ideas of failure were
decidedly tragical.

"Will they take all my things away?" cried Maud, in dismay.

"I dare say; I don't know what we are allowed to keep; but not much,
I fancy," and Fan looked as if strung up to sacrifice everything she
possessed.

"They shan't have my new ear-rings, I 'll hide 'em, and my best dress,
and my gold smelling bottle. Oh, oh, oh! I think it 's mean to take a
little girl's things away!" And Maud dived among the pillows to smother
a wail of anguish at the prospect of being bereft of her treasures.

Polly soon lured her out again, by assurances that she would n't be
utterly despoiled, and promises to try and soften the hard hearts of
her father's creditors, if the ear-rings and the smelling-bottle were
attached.

"I wonder if we shall be able to keep one servant, just till