Miss Merivale's Mistake

ry street carrying a big bunch of flowers from the old garden, she might have come straight from Arcady, so bright her

ter, as they went into the sitting-room, Rhoda holding littl

o kind! But I will tell you all about it presently. How tired y

for you. You have had a long day. How beautiful those flowers are! They scent the room already. English flowers are sweeter than our flowers used to be. But we had a love

has given me some more programmes to do

You look all the better for a breath of country a

e in Jack, who had been watching for an opportunity to make his voi

r face. Mrs. M'Alister's elder brother had been the only person who had ever made her

f it till after tea. James is coming in again this evening, when Ned is home. Jack and

oda said, as the boys ran off. "Wh

he went down to the works this morning, and saw Ned and

s of anxiety in her face meant which she had noticed the moment

is a splendid thing for him. And he wants me to go down there and

down. For a few seconds Rhoda was silent. Then her voice was very cheerful. "Why, you will be quite cl

glance. "If only you could go to

day-dreams as she came home-how if she got plenty of work they might take a little house and have a little garden of their own. But she went bravely on. "It would be foo

boy was her heart's darling. "James said Mr. Howard spoke so highly of him. And James is ver

He was both anxious and willing that his sister and her boys should make their home with him, but he did not want her. He considered her ol

st not trouble about me. There are heaps of places now where girls can live comfortably for very little. I will ask Miss Desborough

, without looking up. "But I couldn't let Ned go to P

she knew her face had turned very white, and slow hot tears had forced themselves int

t Rhoda seemed to bear the news so well, she was able to think of the bright side of things. "And you must spend

that it would be foolish of me to think of leaving London. But here comes the t

hat bitter tears she had been shedding upstairs. And when Mr. Price came in, he was pleasantly surprised at the sensible view she took

s hard grey eyes. "Mary, here, seems to think you're a baby still, but I know better. Girls aren't what they used to be, M

he must shift for herself. And the only excuse she could make for him was that he did not know how hard it was for her to be suddenly deprived of a home. Shabby and uncomfortable as their lodgings were, not even beautiful Woodcote could have been a deare

g down her sewing. "She knows a great many girls who get their living in London a

rmer briskly. "And now this Miss Merivale has ta

ed Mrs. M'Alister, looking anxiously at Rhoda. "Now Miss De

nt. She had felt too indifferent to her to be hurt by her behaviour; and since her visit to Leyton

oice that had a ripple of laughter in it. "But don't be anxious about me. I can stay here with Mrs

t, she found that Lady Desborough had reached town the day before, and had taken her d

door. Rhoda thought her the prettiest creature she had ever seen in her life. She had a blue dress on and a

an you do them at the side table? I am cooking in the sitting-room this morning. It was so

a made no objection. She found her eyes wandering now and then to Rose, who had gone back to her p

ly, in a tone of deep disgust. "And I mean to use simple langua

stily opened and Pauline came in, with a bunch of daffodils in he

Desborough were to come back wi

kly. "And I do so want to learn how to cook. Mrs. Richards

about. Please take them away. I never like to think of my food till I see it on the table. Good-morning, Miss Sampson. When you have fi

nd when Pauline went into the next room to

good-bye to you, Miss Sampson. She feels

ntly lurking at the corner of her firm lips, b

is over. But your aunt has promised me some more work, Mi

g it. "You went yesterday, didn't you?" she said

puzzled brows over it. Rhoda watched her for a moment, her eyes full of admiration. Miss Desborough was pretty, but there was not a soft line in her face. Rose looked a child still for all her womanly height. Rhoda said to herself that

Merivale?" Rhoda said, after a moment. "I did al

way," she said, with a laugh. "And I mean to have some cookery lessons, if I can

rolling-pin and retreated to the kitchen. She came back in a few moments with her apron off, and found Rhoda busy at work, and Pauline in a low chair by the fire with her hands clasped round her knees. Pau

ered. "The brown pots, not the blue ones. Now Clare is going to her native fens, I mean this room to be

ght the brown pots to the table. "She was telling me

human being. I was very fond of her once, but I have found her trying to live with. They say you never know a woman till you

uline looked carelessly round at her. "Ah, are you going, Miss Sampson? Here is the money Miss Desborough left for you

She half thought of mentioning her visit to Leyton, but she refrained. There was not a touch of spitefulness in Rhoda's

ence for a minute or two after Rhoda went

mpson so, Pauline? Do you know t

if you didn't. Thank goodness, we have seen the last of her. Now, come and sit down here and hav

e shall be busy all day. My time will soon be over, won't it? Do you know, Aunt Lucy has asked Miss Sampson down to Woodcote again to-mo

thing to do with her. But don't let us talk of Sampson, Rosie; let us talk of ourselves. Suppose for

hook h

week of the month. But don't let us talk of it. Let us talk of the concert last night. Wasn't it wonderful? I wish Tom had been there; he would have understood better why Lau