nt, so satisfied that she preferred to decline Ralph's
offer; but now that escape was made easy, a wave of bitter
disappointment, of wild, incredulous rebellion, took the place of the
former calm. She searched desperately for an excuse, an evasion, but
short of confessing the previous engagement, there was nothing to be
said. Theo would have been equal to the occasion; Madge would even have
enjoyed it; but Hope found herself murmuring polite acquiescence, and
five minutes later was driving away from the door, as miserable a young
woman as could be found in the length and breadth of London. The little
girl was still crying weakly; the big girl hugged her and cried in
sympathy. "He will think I did it on purpose," she sobbed to herself.
"He will never want to speak to me again."

Ten minutes later Ralph Merrilies asked his sister the whereabouts of
Miss Charrington, for whom he had been searching in vain. "She has gone
home," was the calm reply: "drove off in a cab directly after you went
upstairs."

The glance which accompanied the reply was keenly observant; for, though
Mrs Welsby was less worldly-minded than most women of her class, it did
not coincide with her plans that her brother should fall in love with a
girl who was working for her living. She wondered if he would show
signs of disappointment; but Ralph had his feelings well under control,
and gave no visible signs of the blow which her words had inflicted.

"The second time!" he said sternly to himself. "The second rebuff.
That ought to be enough for any fellow. Poor little girl, her life is
hard enough as it is. I'm a brute if I worry her any longer."

CHAPTER NINETEEN.

SHADOWS AHEAD.

A year after the Charringtons had taken possession of their flat, the
girls sat in conclave and reviewed the situation. Philippa "submitted"
her accounts with the usual unpleasant results; for those who had
nothing to do with the management were horrified at their amount,
groaned over the total sum, and wondered "how it had gone," until the
goaded housekeeper was fain to turn the tables and inquire into the
doings of her critics. That brought them quickly enough to their knees,
for in truth the report was far from rose-coloured.

"I have made a decided improvement," said Theo dryly. "My manuscripts
are now refused with a written acknowledgment instead of a printed slip.
In two cases I have even been asked to submit further efforts. I
worked for nearly a