The poor governess fairly gasped for breath--there lay the bill for six pounds nineteen shillings which she had incurred, making sure that she could meet it out of Primrose's money.

Primrose had spoken so confidently about her little nest-egg, and behold, she had not any!--the envelope was a fraud--the girl had been subjected to a cruel practical joke.
Miss Egerton was extremely poor--it was with the utmost difficulty she could make two ends meet.

She thought hard for a minute--then her brow cleared, and she rose to her feet.
"Better I than those orphan girls!" she said, under her breath, and then she went to her desk again, and filled in a cheque for the amount.
"I can do without my winter cloak, and my black merino dress will last me for some weeks longer if I sponge it with cold tea, and re-line the tail," she said to herself.

"Any little privation is better than to hurt the hearts of the orphan girls." She paid the man, who signed the receipt, and then she let him out herself.

As she did so a young man came hastily up the steps--he had a bright face, and running up to the governess, he seized both her hands in his.
"Oh, Arthur, how glad I am to see you!" said Miss Egerton..