"Little Miss Daisy is too ill to be moved for the present." "The men have come round to be paid for the bits of furniture, leastways, ma'am," answered Bridget, "and the foreman from the other shop is standing in the hall, and wants to know if you'll settle with him now, or if he shall call again." "I'll settle with him now, Bridget.

Dear Miss Primrose left some money in my charge yesterday morning, and I can pay the man at once." One of the rules of Miss Egerton's life was never to leave a bill unpaid for twenty-four hours, if possible--she hated accounts, and always paid ready money for everything.

She now ran downstairs, and unlocking her desk, took out Mr.Danesfield's envelope.

Primrose had begged of her to open it when the bills came in, and pay for the furniture--Primrose seemed to have an absolute prejudice against unfastening that envelope herself.
Miss Egerton opened it slowly now, smiling as she did so at the quaint inscription on the cover.

A folded sheet of paper lay within--she spread the paper before her, expecting to see the three five-pound notes folded within its leaves--blankness and emptiness alone met her view--no money was inside the envelope--the whole thing was a cruel fraud.