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 A GIRL IN 
 
 TEN THOUSAND 
 
 By L. T. MEADR 
 
 Author of" Bad Little Hannah," "Good Luck," 
 "TheGirlsofSt.Wode's," "A Sweet Girl Graduate," 
 
 A. L. BURT COMPANY 
 PUBLISHERS :: :: NEW YORK
 
 I V^ 
 
 wti 
 
 A Girl in Ten Thousand 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 
 "You are the comfort of my life, Erne. If you 
 make up your mind to go away, what is to become 
 of me?" 
 
 The speaker was a middle-aged woman. She was 
 lying on a sofa in a shabby little parlor. The sofa 
 was covered with horsehair, the room had a faded 
 paper, and faded chintz covered the shabby furni- 
 ture. The woman's pleading words were emphasized 
 by her tired eyes and worn face. She looked full at 
 the young girl to whom she spoke. 
 
 "What shall I do without you, and what will your 
 father say?" 
 
 "I have made up my mind," said Erne. "I don't 
 want to be unkind to you, mother I love you more 
 than words can say but I must go out into the world. 
 I must live my life like other girls." 
 I
 
 2 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 "You had none of these ideas until you met Dor- 
 othy Fraser." 
 
 "Yes, I have had them for a long &ne ; Dorothy 
 has given them emphasis, that's all. Dorothy's moth- 
 er did not like her to go away, but now she is glad. 
 She says that nothing has made Dorothy into so fine 
 a woman as taking her life into her own hands, and 
 making the best she can of it. Before I go, mother, 
 I will get Agnes to learn all my duties; she shall 
 help you. She is nearly fourteen; she ought to be 
 of use to you, ought she not ?" 
 
 "She would not be like you," replied Mrs. Staun- 
 ton. "She is very young, remember, and is at school 
 most of the day. I won't argue with you, Effie, but 
 it tires me even to think of it." 
 
 Effie sighed. She bent down and kissed her moth- 
 er. Her words had sounded hard and almost defiant, 
 but there was nothing at all hard or defiant about her 
 sweet face. She was a dark-eyed girl, and looked as 
 if she might be any age between seventeen and twenty. 
 There was a likeness between her and her mother 
 quite sufficient to show their relationship ; both faces 
 were softly curved, both pairs of eyes were dark, and 
 the mother must have been even prettier in her youth 
 than the daughter was now.
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 3 
 
 "As I say," continued Mrs. Staunton, "it fills me 
 with terror to think of doing without you." 
 
 "Try not to think of it, mother. I am not going 
 yet, I only want to go very much indeed. I am going 
 to talk to father about it. I want to have the thing 
 arranged while Dorothy is here." 
 
 Here Effie went suddenly on her knees by the sofa 
 and threw one young arm protectingly around her 
 mother. 
 
 "You do not know what it means to me," she 
 said. "When Dorothy talks of the full life, the keen 
 interest, the battle, the thrill of living, I feel that 
 I must go into it I must." 
 
 While Effie was speaking, Mrs. Staunton looked 
 fixedly at her. There are moments which all moth- 
 ers know, when they put themselves completely out 
 of sight, when they blot themselves out, as it were. 
 This time had come to Mrs. Staunton now. After 
 a pause she said, and her words came out even with- 
 out a sigh : 
 
 "The question, after all, is this, Effie: What will 
 your father say ?" 
 
 "When he thinks it out carefully he will be 
 pleased," replied Effie. "He must be interested in
 
 4 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 the profession I want to take up. How often oh, 
 how often, mother, has he groaned and sighed at the 
 >bad nursing which his patients get ! You know you 
 have always said, and he has said the same, that I 
 am a horn nurse. Won't he be proud and pleased 
 when I come home and tell him all about the new 
 ways in which things are done in London hospitals ? 
 You know there are six of us, arid Agnes and Katie 
 are growing up, and can take my place at home pres- 
 ently. Of course I know that father is quite the 
 cleverest doctor in Whittington, but nobody gets ill 
 here, and it is quite impossible to go on clothing and 
 feeding six of us with no means at all. I do not 
 think I am vain, mother, and I do not really care 
 very much about dress, but mine is shabby, is it not ? 
 I think I should look pretty as pretty as you must 
 have looked long ago if I were better dressed." 
 
 "No dress can change your face," said Mrs. Staun- 
 con with sudden passion. "You have the sweetest 
 and dearest face in the world to me. When you go 
 away the sunshine will go out of my life; but, my 
 darling, my darling, I won't you shall never have 
 it to say that your mother stood in your way. I must 
 think, however, of what your father will say to this.
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 5 
 
 I can only warn you that if there is one person your 
 father dreads and dislikes more than another, it is 
 the modern girl. He said to me, 'Thank God, Effie 
 has none of that hideous modernity about her. She 
 is fairly good-looking; she does not think about Gir- 
 ton or Newnham, or any of the women's colleges ;, 
 in short, she has no advanced ideas.' " 
 
 "That is aU he knows," replied Effie. "The fact 
 is, I must, and will, do something to earn my living. 
 You are sending George out into the world to win 
 his spurs, and I am going to win mine." 
 
 "In what way?" asked Mrs. Staunton. "You 
 know you are not clever." 
 
 "Dorothy thinks I can be a nurse, mother. May 
 she come and see you, and talk it over ?" 
 
 "There is no harm in talking it over," said Mrs.. 
 Staunton. "But now I wish you would go upstairs 
 and help Susan to put the children to bed. You can 
 bring baby downstairs if you like, and I will undress 
 him. Run along, Effie run along, there's a good 
 child." 
 
 "Oh, yes, mother, I'll go ; only just answer *iv one 
 question first. May Dorothy come here aftei v. , vibr 
 to-night ?"
 
 6 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 "What is the use of my seeing her ? Your father 
 is the one to decide." 
 
 "I will ask father to stay in after supper." 
 
 "I don't think he will. A message has come from 
 the Watson people over at the farm. Mrs. Watson 
 was taken bad with a stitch an hour ago, and they 
 want your father as quickly as he can go." 
 
 "Well, he will be back in time he won't spend 
 the whole evening there. Anyhow, Dorothy can come 
 and see you, and if father does come in before she 
 leaves, well and good. I may run and tell her to 
 eome, may I not ?" 
 
 "Won't you put the children to bed first, and bring 
 me baby ?" 
 
 "Oh, yes ! yes ! if you insist." 
 
 "I do, Effie. While you are at home you must 
 help me all you can. I have not had a bit of strength 
 since baby was born. It is perfectly dreadful to feel 
 all your strength going and to know that things are 
 at sixes and sevens, and however hard you try you 
 cannot put them right. Dear me, Effie, I did think 
 when you were grown up that you would stay at home 
 and be a comfort to me !" 
 
 "I shall be a cheater comfort to vou when I send
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 7 
 
 you money from London. Now, don't speak another 
 word. I will put the children to bed, and I will look 
 after baby myself, while you close your eyes and 
 go to sleep." 
 
 Effie pressed her warm young lips on the older 
 woman's brow and then ran out of the room. 
 
 There was a large nursery upstairs, where every- 
 thing, at the present moment, was, as Effie's mother 
 had said, at sixes and sevens. The nursemaid, a 
 young girl of seventeen, was not up to her duties 
 the children ruled her, instead of her ruling the chil- 
 dren. Effie, however, could be masterful enough 
 when she liked. She had a natural sense of order, 
 and she soon put things straight in the nursery. The 
 children were undressed quickly and put to bed ; and 
 then Effie, taking the baby in her arms, asked Susan 
 to go downstairs. 
 
 "You can have your supper," she said. "I will 
 look after baby." 
 
 "I thought my missus would like me to take the 
 baby to her," said the girl. 
 
 "No; I will look after him for the present," said 
 Effie. "Mother is tired, and she must sleep. Run 
 away, Susan, and have your supper, and come back 
 here as quickly as you can,"
 
 8 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 "Yes, Miss Effie ; and I am sure I am very much 
 obliged to you. You 'as a wonderful way with the 
 children, and I only wish I could learn it." 
 
 Susan left the room. Pressing the baby's soft, 
 curly head against her breast, Effie began to pace up 
 and down with it. The baby was three months old ; 
 he was fractious and disinclined to sleep, but when 
 his sister began to purr a soft song into his ear, an 
 old nursery rhyme which her mother had sung to 
 her long ago, his wide-open eyes closed, and he sank 
 off into peaceful slumber. 
 
 When she saw that he was quite sound asleep, Effie 
 put him in his cot, drew the cot near the crib, where 
 Philip, a dark-eyed little boy of five, lay, and bending 
 down to kiss Phil, said : 
 
 "You are to be baby's nurse until Susan comes up. 
 If he wakes, or begins to cry, just pat him on his 
 back. I am most anxious that mother should have 
 a quiet time ; she is just worn out ; and if she hears 
 baby cry, she is certain to send for him. Now, Phil, 
 you are a very clever little man when you like I 
 trust to you to keep baby from crying until Susan 
 comes back." 
 
 "'Es, that I will," replied Phil in a voice of in- 
 tense importance. "I do love 'ou, Effie," he said.
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 9 
 
 Effie kissed him and softly left the room. She 
 ran downstairs and began to help the servant to lay 
 supper. 
 
 ISio one could look more bright than Effie as she 
 performed the thousand and one duties which fell to 
 her lot in this poor home. Dr. Staunton was poor, 
 there were six children Effie was the eldest daugh- 
 ter; it needs no more words to explain her exact po- 
 sition. From morning to night Effie was busy, very 
 busy, doing what she herself called nothing. She was 
 getting discontented with her life. A feeling of dis- 
 content had stolen over her ever since her eldest 
 brother George had gone to London to help his uncle 
 in a large warehouse. For months the dream of her 
 life was to give up the little duties near at hand and 
 to take some great duties which nobody wanted her 
 to do, far away from home. She was quite pre- 
 pared for the advice which her friend, Dorothy 
 Fraser, who lived all the year round in London, 
 and only came home for the holidays to Whitting- 
 ton was able to give her. Effie's conscience was not 
 in the least pricked at the thought of leaving her 
 mother it seemed to her quite right. "Had she 
 not to make the most of her youth ? Why should she
 
 10 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 spend all her young days in looking after the chil- 
 dren, and making things tolerable for her father and 
 mother?" 
 
 These thoughts kept swiftly passing through her 
 brain as she noiselessly laid the table and made it 
 look charming and pretty. When all was done she 
 took up a little frock of one of the children's, and 
 sitting down by the window, began to work. Her 
 pretty dark head was bent over her task ; her thick, 
 curling lashes lay heavy on her rounded cheek. Mrs. 
 Staunton, who had been having a doze on the sofa, 
 started up now and looked at her. 
 
 "Oh, Effie, dear, I have had such a nice sleep/'* 
 she said with a little sigh. "I am ever so much the 
 better for it. But what have you done with baby ?" 
 
 "I have put him to sleep, mother. He is in his 
 cot now, as comfortable as possible." 
 
 "How good of you, Effie! What a comfort you 
 are to me!" 
 
 Effie smiled. "I think I hear father coming in," 
 she said, "and supper is quite ready." 
 
 Mrs. Staunton started up from the sofa; she 
 pushed back her tumbled hair and shook out her some- 
 what untidy dress.
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 11 
 
 "Now let me make you trim," said Effie. 
 
 She ran over to her parent, put back her gray 
 hair with an affectionate little touch, and then kissed 
 her mother on her flushed cheeks. 
 
 "You look better for your nice sleep, mother," 
 she said. 
 
 "So I am, darling, and for your loving care," re- 
 plied Mrs. Staunton. 
 
 Her husband came into the room, and she took her 
 place before the tea-tray. 
 
 Supper at the Stauntons' was a nondescript sort 
 of meal. It consisted of meat and vegetables, and 
 tea and cakes and puddings, all placed on the table 
 together. It was the one hearty meal Dr. Staunton 
 allowed himself in the twenty-four hours. At the 
 children's early dinner he only snatched a little bread 
 and cheese, but at peaceful seven o'clock the chil- 
 dren were in bed, the house was quiet, the toil of the 
 day was supposed to be over, and Dr. Staunton could 
 eat heartily and enjoy himself. It was at this hour 
 he used to notice how very pretty Eflfie looked, and 
 how sweet it was to see her sitting like a little mouse 
 on one side of the table, helping him and his wife 
 in her affectionate way, and seeing to the comforts
 
 12 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 of all. It did not occur to him as even possible that 
 Effie could carry such a dreadful thing as rebellion 
 in her heart. No face could look more perfectly hap- 
 py than hers. Was it possible that she was pining 
 for a wider field of usefulness than the little niche 
 which she filled so perfectly in the home life ? Dr. 
 Staunton never thought about it at all. Effie was 
 just a dear little girl not a bit modern ; she was 
 the comfort of her mother's life, and, for that matter, 
 the comfort of his, also. 
 
 He looked at her now with his usual grave smile. 
 ''Well, Effie, useful and charming as usual? I see 
 you have not forgotten my favorite dish, and I am 
 glad of it, for I can tell you I am just starving. I 
 have had a hard day's work, and it is nice to feel that 
 I can rest for this evening at least." 
 
 "Have you been to the Watsons', dear ?" inquired 
 Mrs. Staunton. "They sent a message for you two 
 or three hours ago." 
 
 "Yes; I met the farmer in the High Street, and 
 went straight out to the farm. Mrs. Watson is bet- 
 ter now, poor soul; but it is a bad case; the heart 
 is a good deal implicated. I shall have to go out 
 there again the first thing in the morning. It would
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 13 
 
 be a dreadful thing for that family if anything hap- 
 pened to her." 
 
 "The heart is it heart trouble ?" said Mrs. Staun- 
 ton. 
 
 "Yes! yes! Don't you begin to fancy that your 
 case is the least like hers; yours is only functional; 
 hers is organic. I^ow, why have I broken through 
 my rule of saying nothing about my patients ? You 
 will be fancying and fretting all night that you are 
 going to shuffle off this mortal coil just as quickly 
 as poor Mrs. Watson will have to do before long, I 
 fear. Why, Effie, what is the matter? Why are 
 you staring at me with those round eyes ?" 
 
 Mrs. Staunton also looked at Effie, and the sudden 
 memory of her recent conversation with her returned. 
 
 "By the way," she said, "if you are likely to be 
 at home this evening, John, Effie would like to ask 
 her friend, Dorothy Eraser, to come in for an hour 
 or two. She wants to introduce her to you." 
 
 "She is one of those modern girls, is she not ?" 
 said the doctor. 
 
 "Oh, father, she is just splendid !" said Effie. "If 
 you only knew her if you could hear her speak " 
 
 "Well, my dear, don't get into a state, and above
 
 U A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 all things, don't learn that dreadful habit of exag- 
 geration. I dare say Miss Eraser is very well, but 
 there are few prodigies in the world, my little Effie ; 
 and for my part, give me the home birds they are 
 the girls for my world; they are the girls who will 
 make good wives by and by. There, my love, I shall 
 be pleased to welcome any friend of yours, so ask her 
 over, by all means. She won't mind the old doctor's 
 pipe, I hope ?" 
 
 "Oh, no, father !" Effie could not help smiling. 
 She knew perfectly well that Dorothy thought it no 
 harm to indulge in a tiny cigarette herself not often, 
 nor every day, but sometimes when she was dead 
 beat, as she expressed it. Effie had to keep this 
 knowledge of her friend's delinquencies to herself. 
 If Dr. Staunton knew that Dorothy did not consider 
 smoking the unpardonable sin in woman he would 
 not allow her inside his doors. "I will go and fetch 
 her," Effie said, jumping up and putting on her hat. 
 "She is longing to know you, father, and you can 
 smoke two or three pipes while she is here." 
 
 Effie left the room. Mrs. Staunton looked at her 
 husband. "I doubt if Dorothy Eraser is the best of 
 friends for our Effie."
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 15 
 
 "Eh!" said the doctor, taking his pipe out of his 
 mouth for a moment. "What ails the girl ?" 
 
 "Oh, nothing at all," replied Mrs. Staunton. "Ef- 
 fie is very fond of her, and I believe she really is 
 a fine creature. You know she is educating her two 
 brothers." 
 
 "What is she doing ? How does she earn her liv- 
 ing?" 
 
 "Oh, she is a nurse in a hospital. She has been 
 in St. Joseph's Hospital for years, and is now su- 
 perintendent of one of the wards. She gets a good 
 salary." 
 
 The doctor rubbed his hands together in a some- 
 what impatient way. "You know my opinion of lady 
 nurses," he said, looking at his wife. 
 
 "Well, dear, make the best of Dorothy for Effie's 
 sake. I hear the steps of the two girls now. You 
 will do what you can to be agreeable, won't you ?" 
 
 "No," said the doctor; "I shall growl like a bear 
 with a sore head, when I see women who ought to 
 be content with sweet home duties, struggling and 
 pining to go out into the world." 
 
 The last words had scarcely left the doctor's lips 
 before the dining-room door was opened, and Effie, 
 accompanied by her friend, entered the room.
 
 16 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 Dorothy Eraser was about twenty-eight years of 
 age ; she was tall ; she had a fair, calm sort of face ; 
 her eyes were large and gray, her mouth sweet. She 
 had a way of taking possession of those she spoke 
 to, and she had not been two minutes in the shabby 
 little sitting-room before Dr. and Mrs. Staunton were 
 looking at her earnestly and listening to her words 
 with respect. 
 
 Dorothy sat near Mrs. Staunton. 
 
 "I am very glad to know you," she said after a 
 pause. "Effie has talked to me over and over again 
 about you." 
 
 "May I ask how long you have known Effie ?" in- 
 terrupted Dr. Staunton. 
 
 "Well, exactly a week," replied Miss Eraser. "I 
 have been home a week, and I am going to stay an- 
 other week. I met Effie the night I came home, 
 
 and But one can cultivate a friendship in a 
 
 week ; don't you think so, Dr. Staunton ?" 
 
 "Perhaps, perhaps," said the doctor in a dubious 
 voice. "I am slow in making friends myself. It is 
 the old-fashioned way of country folks." 
 
 "Oh, pray don't speak of yourself as old-fashioned, 
 Dr. Staunton; and doii't run down country folks, I
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 17 
 
 see so many of them at the hospital. For my part, 
 I think they are worth twenty of those poor London 
 people, who are half starved in body, and have only 
 learned the wicked side of life." 
 
 "Poor creatures!" said Mrs. Staunton. "I wish 
 you would tell us something about the hospital, my 
 dear. It is vastly entertaining to hear all about sick 
 people." 
 
 "No; now pardon me," said the doctor, "you will 
 do nothing of the kind, Miss Fraser. There are not 
 many sick folks about here, but what few there are 
 I have got to look after, and my thoughts are both- 
 ered enough about them and their sicknesses, so I 
 would rather, if you please, turn our conversation 
 to people who are not ill. The wife here is a bit 
 nervous, too, and she is never the better for hearing 
 people talk about what they call 'bad cases.' I think 
 it is the worst thing in the world for people to keep 
 talking of their maladies, or even about other peo- 
 ple's maladies. My motto is this : When you are 
 ill, try and see how soon you can get well again; 
 and when you are well, try to keep so. Never think 
 of illness at all." 
 
 Miss Fraser looked fully at the doctor while he
 
 18 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 was talking. A slight frown came between her eye- 
 brows. Effie's bright dark eyes were fixed on her 
 friend. 
 
 "Illness interests me, of course," Dorothy said 
 after a pause, "but I won't talk of it. There are 
 many other things, as you say, just as vital." 
 
 "Well, at any rate," said Mrs. Staunton, "Miss 
 Eraser can tell us how she came to be a nurse " 
 
 "For my part," interrupted Dr. Staunton, "I think 
 it is a great pity that girls like you, Miss Eraser, 
 should take up that sort of life. Lady girls are not 
 suited to it; for one who is fitted for the life, there 
 are fifty who are not. If you could only guess how 
 doctors hate to see a lady nurse in possession of a 
 case. She is a fine lady through it all; she thinks 
 she is not, but she is. Do you suppose she will wash 
 up the cups and plates and spoons as they ought to 
 be washed and kept in a sick person's room? And 
 do you fancy she will clean out the grate, and go 
 down on her knees to wash the floor ? Your fine lady 
 nurse won't. There is a case of infection, for in- 
 stance measles or scarlet fever and the nurse 
 comt-s down from London, and she is supposed to 
 take possession ; but one of the servants of the house
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 19 
 
 has to go in to clean and dust and arrange, or the 
 sickroom is not dusted or cleaned at all. That is 
 your lady nurse, and I say she is not suited to the 
 work." 
 
 Miss Eraser turned pale while the doctor was 
 speaking. 
 
 "You must admit," she said when he stopped and 
 looked at her "you must admit, Dr. Staunton, that 
 every lady nurse is not like that. If you have an 
 infection case in your practice, send for me. I think 
 I can prove to you that there are some ladies who are 
 too truly women to think anything menial or be- 
 neath them." She colored as she spoke, and lowered 
 her eyes. 
 
 The conversation drifted into other channels. After 
 a time Dorothy got up and went away; and Erne, 
 yawning slightly, went up to her room to go to bed. 
 She slept in a little room next to the nursery. In- 
 stead of undressing at once, as was her wont, she went 
 and stood by the window, threw it open, and looked 
 out. "What would father say if he knew my 
 thoughts?" she said to herself. "He despises ladies 
 who are nurses ; he thinks it wrong for any lady girl 
 to go away from home; but I am going yes, I am
 
 20 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 i 
 
 going to London. Dorothy is my friend. She is about 
 the grandest, noblest creature I ever met, and I am 
 going to follow in her steps. Mother will consent 
 in the end mother will see that I cannot throw 
 away my life. Dear mother! I shall miss her and 
 father awfully, but, all the same, I shall be delighted 
 to go. I do want to get out of this narrow, narrow 
 life; I do want to do something big and grand. Oh, 
 Dorothy ! how splendid you are ! How strong you 
 look ! How delightful it is to feel that one can live 
 a life like yours, and do good, and be loved by all! 
 Oh, Dorothy, I hope I shall be able to copy you! 
 
 I hope " 
 
 Effie's eager thoughts came to a sudden stop. A 
 tall dogcart dashed down the street and pulled up 
 short at her father's door. A young man in a Nor- 
 folk suit jumped out, threw the horse's reins to his 
 groom, and pulled the doctor's bell furiously. Effie 
 leaned slightly out of her window in order to see 
 who it was. She recognized the man who stood on 
 the doorstep with a start of surprise, and the color 
 flew into her face. He was the young squire of the 
 neighborhood. His name was Harvey. His place 
 was two miles out of Whittington. He was married ;
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 21 
 
 his wife was the most beautiful woman Effie had ever 
 seen ; and he had one little girl. The Harveys were 
 rich and proud ; they spent the greater part of their 
 time in London, and had never before condescended 
 to consult the village doctor. What was the matter 
 now ? Effie rushed from her room and knocked furi- 
 ously at her father's door. 
 
 "Father ! Do you hear the night-bell ? Are you 
 getting up ?" she called. 
 
 "Yes, child, yes," answered the doctor. 
 
 The bell downstairs kept on ringing at intervals. 
 Effie stood trembling on the landing; she felt posi- 
 tively sure that something dreadful must have hap- 
 pened. 
 
 "May I go downstairs and say you are coming, 
 father?" she called again through the keyhole. 
 
 "Yes ; I wish you would. Say I will be down- 
 stairs in a minute." 
 
 Effie ran off ; she took the chain off the heavy hall 
 door and threw it open. 
 
 "Is Dr. Staunton in?" asked the squire. He 
 stared at Effie's white, trembling face. His eyes 
 were bloodshot, his hair in disorder ; he looked like 
 a man who is half distracted.
 
 22 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 "'Yes," said Effie, in as soothing a voice as she 
 could assume ; "my father will be down in a minute.*' 
 
 Harvey took off his cap. 
 
 "You are Miss Staunton, I presume ? Pray ask 
 your father to be as quick as possible. My little 
 girl is ill very ill. We want a doctor to come to 
 The Grange without a moment's delay." 
 
 "All right, squire; here I am," said the hearty 
 voice of Dr. Staunton on the stairs. 
 
 The squire shook hands with him, made one 01 
 two remarks in too low a voice for Effie to hear, 
 sprang into his dogcart, the doctor scrambled up by 
 his side, and a moment later the two had disappeared. 
 Effie stood by the open hall door looking up and down 
 the quiet village street. The great man of the place 
 had come and gone like a flash. The thing Mrs. 
 Staunton had longed for, dreamed of, and almost 
 prayed for, had come to pass at last her husband 
 was sent for to The Grange. Effie wondered if For- 
 tune were really turning her wheel, and if, from 
 this date, they would be better off than they had 
 been. 
 
 Dorothy Eraser's people lived in the house nearly 
 opposite. From where Effie stood she could see a
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 23 
 
 light still burning in her friend's window. The 
 thought of Dorothy raised the girl's state of excite- 
 ment almost to fever pitch. She longed to go over 
 and see her friend; she knew she must not do that, 
 however. She shut the hall door and went slowly 
 back to her bedroom. She wanted to sleep, but sleep 
 was far away. She lay listening during the long 
 hours of the summer night, and heard hour after 
 hour strike from the church clock close by. Between 
 two and three in the morning she dropped off into a 
 troubled doze. She awoke in broad daylight, to start 
 to her feet and see her father standing in the room. 
 
 "Get up, Erne," he said. "I want you; dress 
 yourself as quickly as you can." 
 
 There was an expression about his face which 
 prevented Erne's uttering a word. She scrambled 
 into her clothes he waited for her on the landing. 
 When she was dressed he took her hand and went 
 softly down through the house. 
 
 "I do not want your mother to be disturbed," he 
 said. "There is a very bad case of illness at The 
 Grange." 
 
 "What is it, father?" asked Effie. 
 
 "Well, I fear that it is a complication of scarlet
 
 24 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 fever and diphtheria. The child will have an awful 
 fight for her life, and at the present moment I am 
 afraid the odds are terribly against her." 
 
 "Oh, father! and she is the only child!" said 
 Effie. 
 
 "Yes ! yes ! I know all that ; but there is no use in 
 going into sentiment just now the thing is to pull 
 her through, if possible. Now, look here. I can 
 send to London, of course, for a nurse, but she would 
 not arrive for several hours do you think your 
 friend, Miss Eraser, would undertake the case ?" 
 
 "Yes, I am sure she would," said Effie. 
 
 "That's just like you women," said the doctor im- 
 patiently. "You jump to conclusions without know- 
 ing anything at all about the matter. The child's case 
 is horribly infectious. In fact, I shall be surprised if 
 the illness does not run right through the house. The 
 mother has been sitting up with this baby day and 
 night for the last week, and they were so silly they 
 never sent for a doctor, imagining that the awful state 
 of the throat was due to hoarseness, and that the rash 
 was what they were pleased to call 'spring heat.' The 
 folly of some people is enough to drive any reason- 
 able man to despair. They send for the doctor, for-
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 25 
 
 sooth, when the child is almost in the grip of death ! 
 I have managed to relieve her a bit during the night, 
 but I must have the services of a good nurse at orce. 
 Go over and wake Miss Fraser, Erne, and bring her 
 to see me. If she has the pluck she gave me to un- 
 derstand she had, she will come in as a stop-gap until 
 I get somebody else. And now, look here: the case 
 is so infectious, and your mother is so weak just now, 
 that I am going to devote myself altogether to it for 
 the next few days. I am going to take up my abode 
 at The Grange, and I shall wire to my old friend, 
 Edwards, to look after the rest of my patients. There 
 are only half a dozen to be seen to, and he will keep 
 them quiet until I am free again. Now go over and 
 bring Miss Fraser for me to see. I have driven down 
 on the squire's dogcart, and will take her back with 
 me if she will come. Run along, Effie, and wake her 
 up."
 
 CHAPTER II 
 
 DOROTHY ERASER was sound asleep when Effie 
 rushed into her little room. 
 
 "Get up!" said Effie, shaking her friend by the 
 shoulder. 
 
 As a nurse, Miss Eraser was accustomed to unex- 
 pected disturbances. She opened her eyes now and 
 gazed at Effie for a bewildered moment, then she sat 
 up in bed and pushed back her heavy hair. 
 
 "Why, Effie!" she exclaimed. "What do you 
 want? I fancied I was back at St. Joseph's, and 
 that one of the nurses had got into trouble and had 
 come to me ; but I find I am at home for the holidays. 
 Surely, it is not time to get up yet ?" 
 
 "It is only five o'clock," said Effie. "It is not the 
 usual time to get up ; but, Dorothy, father wants you. 
 There is a bad case of illness at The Grange very 
 bad indeed, and father is nearly distracted, and he 
 wants to know if you will help him just for a bit."
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 27 
 
 "Why, of course," cried Dorothy. "I shall be de- 
 lighted." 
 
 "I knew you would; I knew you were just that 
 splendid sort of girl." 
 
 Miss Fraser knit her brows in some perplexity. 
 "Don't, Effie," she said. "I wish you would not 
 go into such ecstasies over me; I am only just a 
 nurse. A nurse is, and ought to be, at the beck and 
 call of every one who is in trouble. Now run away, 
 dear ; I won't be any time in getting dressed. I will 
 join you and your father in a minute." 
 
 "Father will see you in the street," said Effie. 
 "The fact is " 
 
 "Oh, do run away!" exclaimed Dorothy. "I can- 
 not dress while you stand there talking. Whatever 
 it is, I will be with your father in two or three min- 
 utes." 
 
 Effie ran downstairs again. Mrs. Fraser, who had 
 let her in, had gone back to bed. Effie shut the 
 Erasers' hall door as quickly as she could. She then 
 went across the sunlit and empty street to where her 
 father stood on the steps at his own door. The groom 
 who had driven the doctor over was standing by the 
 horse's head at a little distance.
 
 28 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 "Well," said Dr. Staunton, "she has fought shy 
 of it, has she ?" 
 
 "No; she is dressing," said Effie. "She will be 
 down in a minute or two." 
 
 "Good girl!" said Dr. Staunton. "You didn't 
 happen to mention the nature of the case ?" 
 
 "No ! no !" answered Effie ; "but the nature of the 
 case won't make any difference to her." 
 
 The doctor pursed up his mouth as if he meant 
 to whistle ; he restrained himself, however, and stood 
 looking down the street. After a time he turned and 
 glanced at his daughter. 
 
 "Now, Effie," he said, "you must do all you can 
 for your mother. Don't let her get anxious. There 
 is nothing to be frightened about as far as I am con- 
 cerned. If mortal man can pull the child through, 
 I will do it, but I must have no home cares as well. 
 You will take up that burden eh, little woman ?" 
 
 "I will try, father," said Effie. 
 
 Just then Dorothy appeared. She had dressed her- 
 self in her nurse's^costume gray dress, gray cloak, 
 gray bonnet. The dress suited her earnest and re- 
 poseful face. She crossed the road with a firm step, 
 carrying a little bag in her hand.
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 29 
 
 "Well, Dr. Staunton," she said, "I hear you have 
 got a case for me." 
 
 The doctor gazed at her for a moment without 
 speaking. 
 
 "Bless me !" he exclaimed ; "it is a comfort to see 
 a steady-looking person like you in the place. And 
 so you are really willing to help me in this emer- 
 gency?" 
 
 "Why, of course !" said Dorothy. "I am a nurse." 
 
 "But you don't know the nature of the case yet." 
 
 "I don't see that that makes any difference; but 
 will you tell me ?" 
 
 "And it is your holiday," pursued the doctor, gaz- 
 ing at her. "You don't take many holidays in the 
 year, I presume?" 
 
 "I have had a week, and I am quite rested," said 
 Dorothy. "I always hold my life in readiness," she 
 continued, looking up at him with a flash out of her 
 dark blue eyes. "Anywhere, at any time, when I 
 am called I am ready. But what is the matter? 
 What do you want me to do ?" 
 
 "I want you to help me pull a. child back from 
 the borders of death." 
 
 "A child ! I love children," said Dorothy. "What 
 ails the child?"
 
 SO A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 "She has acute scarlet fever and diphtheria. No 
 precautions have been taken with regard to sanita- 
 tion. She is the child of rich people, but they have 
 been wantonly neglectful, almost cruel in their neg- 
 ligence and ignorance. The mother, a young woman, 
 is nearly certain to take the complaint ; and, to com- 
 plicate everything, there is another baby expected 
 before long. Now you understand. If you get into 
 that house you are scarcely likely to go out of it again 
 for some time." 
 
 Dorothy stood grave and silent. 
 
 "Oh, Dorothy! is it right for you to go?" ex- 
 claimed Effie, who was watching her friend anx- 
 iously. 
 
 "Yes," said Dorothy, "it is right. They may pos- 
 sibly be obliged to fill my place at St. Joseph's. I 
 was only considering that point for a moment. After 
 all, it is not worth troubling about. I am at your 
 service, Dr. Staunton. We may require one or two 
 other nurses to help us, if things are as bad as you 
 fear." 
 
 "God bless you !" said the doctor. Something very 
 like moisture came into his eyes. He began to blow 
 his nose violently. "Now, Effie, you will do your
 
 A GIRL IX TEN THOUSAND 31 
 
 best at home," lie said, turning to his daughter. "This 
 way, please, Miss Fraser." 
 
 "Good-by, Effie, dear," said Dorothy. She kissed 
 her friend. The doctor and the nurse walked toward 
 the dogcart ; he helped her to mount, and then drove 
 rapidly down the street. The vehicle was soon out 
 of sight. 
 
 "I wonder what father will think of Dorothy after 
 this ?" thought Effie to herself. The feeling that her 
 father would really approve of her friend gave her 
 much consolation. She went back into the house, 
 and as it was now half-past five, decided that it was 
 not worth while to return to bed. There was always 
 plenty to be done in this little house with its over- 
 flowing inhabitants, and Effie found heaps to occupy 
 her until it was time to go into the nursery to help 
 the little nursemaid with her various duties. 
 
 The children always hailed Effie with a scream 
 of delight. They were not a bit afraid of her, for 
 she was the most indulgent elder sister in the world, 
 but all the same she managed to make them obey 
 her. 
 
 Susan was sent downstairs to get her breakfast, 
 while Effie saw the elder ones safely through the
 
 32 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 process of dressing. She took the baby on her knee, 
 and removing his nightclothes, put him into his bath, 
 and dressed him herself, quickly and expeditiously. 
 She then carried him into her mother's room. 
 
 Mrs. Staunton had spent a troubled night. 
 
 "Is that you, Effie ?" she exclaimed, looking at her 
 daughter; "and oh, there is baby! How sweet he 
 looks ! What a splendid nurse you are, my darling, 
 and what a wonderful comfort to me! Give me my 
 dear little man. I will take care of him while you 
 see about breakfast." 
 
 "How are you this morning, mother ?" asked Effie. 
 "Have you had a good night ?" 
 
 "Yes ; pretty well. I had one or two bad dreams. 
 I could not help thinking of poor Mrs. Watson and 
 that heart trouble your father spoke about. I wonder 
 how she is this morning." 
 
 "Now, mother, dear," said Effie, "you know father 
 said you were not to dwell upon that you must turn 
 your thoughts away from illness of every sort. I 
 tkought we might go for a little drive in the gig this 
 morning." 
 
 "But your father will want the gig." 
 
 "No, that's just it; he won't."
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 33 
 
 "What do you mean? Surely he will go out as 
 early as he can to see Mrs. Watson ?" 
 
 "Xo, mother," said Effie, "he won't not to-day. 
 I have something to tell you. ]STow, please don't be 
 frightened ; there is nothing to be frightened about." 
 
 Mrs. Staunton was half sitting up in bed ; she had 
 thrown a little pale blue shawl around her shoul- 
 ders, and held the pretty baby in her arms. She was 
 a remarkably good-looking woman, a really young- 
 looking woman for her age, but weakness was writ- 
 ten all over her the weakness of a frail, although 
 loving, spirit, and the weakness of extreme bodily 
 illness; for she was ill far more ill than her chil- 
 dren knew. The greatest anxiety of the honest doc- 
 tor's life was connected with his wife's physical con- 
 dition. Effie looked at her mother now, and some- 
 thing of the fear which dwelt in her father's heart 
 seemed to visit her. 
 
 "I have something to tell you," she said, "but it 
 is nothing that need make you the least bit afraid. 
 Father has left you in my charge. He says I am 
 to look after you, and to do all in my power to help 
 you." 
 
 "But what can you mean, Effie ? Has your father 
 gone away?"
 
 34 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 "Kot really away," replied Erne, "for he is close 
 to us, and can come back, if necessary, at any mo- 
 ment ; but the fact is this : If all is well, father is 
 not coming home for two or three days. In one way, 
 you will be pleased to hear this, mother. You know 
 how you have wished him to be called in at The 
 Grange." 
 
 "At The Grange !" exclaimed Mrs. Staunton, start- 
 ing up. "You don't mean to tell me that the Harveys 
 have sent for your father ?" 
 
 "Yes, mother, I do; and is not that good news? 
 The little girl is very ill, and Squire Harvey came * 
 over to fetch father last night that time when the 
 bell rang so suddenly." 
 
 "I remember," said Mrs. Staunton. "I made sure 
 that some one came from the Watsons'." 
 
 "No; it was the squire who called Squire Har- 
 vey. Father went there and found the little girl 
 very ill. He came back again this morning and took 
 Dorothy Eraser out with him as nurse ; and he saw 
 me, and he asked me to tell you that he would stay 
 at The Grange for a couple of days until he could 
 pull the child through, and you are on no account to 
 expect him home, but you are to keep as well and
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 35 
 
 cheerful as possible for his sake; and Dr. Edwards, 
 from Boltonville, is to take father's work for the 
 time. So you see," continued Effie in conclusion, 
 "that the horse and gig will be at liberty, and we 
 can go for a drive. I thought we might go to Bolton- 
 ville, and take baby, and buy some fruit for preserv- 
 ing. There are sure to be heaps of strawberries at 
 the Bolton Farm if we drive over early." 
 
 All the time Effie was speaking Mrs. Staunton kept 
 gazing at her. As the eager words flowed from the 
 young girl's lips the heart of the mother seemed to 
 faint within her. 
 
 "You," she said, after a pause her voice trem- 
 bled, no words could come for an instant "you," 
 she went on "Effie, you have not told me what ails 
 the child." 
 
 "She is very ill, mother; that goes without say- 
 ing." 
 
 "But what ails her ? Why should not your father 
 come home ?" 
 
 Effie thought for a moment. "I will tell about the 
 scarlet fever, but not about the diphtheria," she said 
 to herself. "Mother is always so terrified about 
 diphtheria ever since poor little Johnny died of it,
 
 36 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 long, long ago. She won't mind scarlet fever so 
 much." 
 
 "Why don't you speak, Effie ?" exclaimed her moth- 
 er. "You terrify me with your grave and silent 
 way!" 
 
 "There is nothing to be terrified about, mother, 
 but you are weak, and therefore you get unduly ner- 
 vous. I was only thinking for a moment whether 
 you had better know; but of course, if you wish it, 
 you must be told. The chijd at The Grange is suf- 
 fering from scarlet fever." 
 
 "Do you think it will spread ?" 
 
 "Father is very anxious. I heard him telling Dor- 
 othy that Mrs. Harvey had been very imprudent. 
 You know how young she is, mother, and how beau- 
 tiful; and she has been with this dear little child 
 day and night from the beginning, not knowing in 
 the least what ailed her, and Mrs. Harvey is expect- 
 ing another baby, and, of course, father is anxious." 
 
 "I should think he is !" cried Mrs. Staunton, drawn 
 completely out of herself by the tragedy conveyed 
 in these words. "Oh, poor young thing ! poor young 
 mother! I wish I were strong and well myself, that 
 I might go and help her. She will have a bad time.
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 37 
 
 She will have an awful risk when her baby arrives, 
 Effie. Well, my darling, we can do nothing but pray 
 for them all. There is One who can guide us even 
 through dark days. Go down, Effie, and get break- 
 fast, and then come back to me. I am very tired 
 this morning, and will lie still for a little, now that 
 I have got such a dear, useful daughter to take my 
 place for me." 
 
 Effie put on a bright smile and turned toward the 
 door. 
 
 As she was leaving the room her mother called 
 out after her : 
 
 "There is one good thing; there is no diphtheria 
 in the case. Nothing terrifies me like that." 
 
 Effie shut the door hastily without reply.
 
 CHAPTER III 
 
 MEANWHILE, Dr. Staunton and Dorothy drove 
 quickly to The Grange. It was still very early in 
 the morning, and when they arrived at the great 
 hall door it was opened by Squire Harvey himself. 
 
 "That's right, Dr. Staunton!" he exclaimed. "I 
 am so glad you have come. Oh ! and I see you have 
 brought a nurse. What a blessing! Now perhaps 
 you will induce my wife to take some rest. How 
 lucky that you were able to find a nurse in a little 
 place like Whittington !" 
 
 "I am very fortunate indeed," replied the doctor 
 in his hearty voice. "Nurse Fraser has been trained 
 at St. Joseph's, and happens to be staying at Whit- 
 tington for a brief holiday. She has most kindly 
 consented to undertake the case until we can get fresh 
 assistance from London." 
 
 "I will stay as long as I am wanted," said Dorothy 
 in her quiet voice. "If I can be shown to a room 
 38
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 39 
 
 for a moment, to take off my bonnet and cloak, I will 
 go immediately afterward to the little patient." 
 
 Dorothy's voice was perfectly cool and calm. She 
 did not speak in the constrained whisper which the 
 poor squire thought it right to use. There was an 
 everyday tone in her voice which at this moment was 
 absolutely refreshing, and the sympathy in her blue 
 eyes just gave the right quality to the cool tones. 
 
 The doctor looked at her with unconcealed admira- 
 tion. "That girl is one in ten thousand," he said to 
 himself. "She will keep us all on our mettle, I can 
 see, but there is plenty of heart underneath that cool 
 exterior." 
 
 The great, luxurious house looked neglected and 
 wretched. Although the father and mother were up, 
 and one or two servants were assisting in the sick- 
 room, the greater number of the servants were still 
 in bed. There was no one to take Miss Fraser to a 
 room, and the squire looked around him in hopeless 
 bewilderment. 
 
 Dorothy saw at a glance that she must take matters 
 into her own hands. 
 
 "I do not want to trouble you," she said. "I can 
 put my cloak and bonnet in here. I should like to 
 put on my cap and apron before I go upstairs."
 
 40 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 She opened a door as she spoke, and went into sc 
 room where all the blinds were down, took off her 
 outdoor things, and taking a cap out of her bag, 
 slipped it over her hair, tied on a white apron, and 
 then stood ready and capable, and fresh and bright, 
 before the squire and the doctor. 
 
 "Kow come straight upstairs with me," said the 
 doctor. 
 
 They went up together; Squire Harvey followed 
 them at a distance. When the doctor reached the 
 first landing he opened a green-baize door, shut it 
 behind him, and walked down a long, cool corridor 
 which led in the direction of the nurseries. 
 
 "Now, look here," he said, turning and facing Dor- 
 othy, "the great thing that we have both to do is to 
 keep this terrible disease from spreading. One or 
 two of the servants have been with the case from 
 the first; the father and mother have been in and 
 out of the room as freely and unconstrainedly as if 
 the child had only a cold the matter with her; if 
 they are likely to take the infection, the mischief is 
 probably done already ; but, on the chance of this not 
 being so, I shall beg of the squire to come into this 
 part of the house as seldom as possible. And as to
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 41 
 
 Mrs. Harvey, she must be got away; that is your 
 task, nurse. You will allow me to call you nurse, 
 won't you ?" 
 
 "Certainly. Call me Nurse Dorothy; I like that 
 name best. I am called that by the children at St. 
 Joseph's." 
 
 "Very well. I am sure you will be a blessing here ; 
 but a great deal of tact must be used. The position 
 of affairs is extremely difficult." 
 
 "I will do my best," replied the nurse. The doc- 
 tor gave her another look o complete satisfaction, 
 and they entered the room where the little patient lay 
 between life and death. 
 
 A small cot had been drawn almost into the center 
 of the room, the blinds were down, there was a sense 
 of desolation, and a heavy smell in the air. 
 
 "Who has shut these windows ?" said the doctor 
 in a voice of disapproval. 
 
 He went straight across the room, drew up one of 
 the blinds, and opened the window two or three 
 inches. A fresh current of air immediately improved 
 the close atmosphere. 
 
 When he spoke, and when he and Nurse Fraser 
 came into the room, a fair-haired young woman, who
 
 42 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 was on her knees by the side of the cot, started up 
 suddenly and gazed at them out of a pair of wide 
 blue eyes. Her cheeks were deeply flushed, her lips 
 were parched and dry. 
 
 "Oh, doctor!" she said, staggering toward Dr. 
 Staunton, "you have come back. What a blessing! 
 She is asleep now ; perhaps she is better." 
 
 The doctor went over and looked at the child. She 
 was a little creature of not more than five years of 
 age. In health she may have been pretty, she prob- 
 ably was; but now the shadowy little face, the ema- 
 ciated hands, the hot, dry, cracked lips, were the re- 
 verse of beautiful. They were all that was pathetic, 
 however, and Dorothy's heart went straight out to 
 the baby who lay there in such suffering and weak- 
 
 The doctor looked at her, and gave a significant 
 glance toward Mrs. Harvey. 
 
 Dorothy took her cue at once. 
 
 "I have come to nurse your dear little girl, 
 madam," she said. "Dr. Staunton has brought me. 
 I have a great deal of experience, as I am superin- 
 tendent of one of the children's wards at St. Joseph's 
 Hospital. I think you may trust your little girl to
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 43 
 
 me; but first of all, let me take you to your room 
 and put you to bed." 
 
 "Put ine to bed !" said Mrs. Harvey with a laugh 
 which jarred on every one's nerves. "I have not 
 been in bed for nights. I could not sleep. When the 
 doctor tells me that Freda is out of danger, then I 
 may be able to sleep, but not before not before." 
 
 "Whether you sleep or not," continued Dorothy, 
 "you must come and lie down. You are completely 
 worn out, and can do no good whatever to the child 
 in your present condition. While she sleeps it is 
 surely right that you should sleep, too. Come. I 
 will promise to call you if you are wanted." 
 
 "Yes, dear madam, let me entreat of you to go to 
 bed," said the doctor. 
 
 The door was opened at this moment and the squire 
 came in. 
 
 "Now, Elfreda," he said, coming up to his wife, 
 "you will go and take some rest, won't you?" 
 
 She looked from him to the nurse, and from the 
 nurse to the doctor, and then her tired, bright eyes 
 fell upon the little, parched face lying on the pil- 
 low. 
 
 "I know she is going to die !" she said with a kind
 
 44 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 of broken sob. "I cannot leave her. How can any 
 one dare to ask me to leave my little child just now ?" 
 Her agitation became more terrible each moment. 
 She was evidently on the verge of hysterics. 
 
 Dorothy walked straight from the nursery to a 
 sort of dressing-room which lay beyond. There was 
 a small bed there, which was sometimes occupied by 
 the undernurse. A scared-looking, tired young wom- 
 an was standing in this room. Dorothy gave her 
 quick directions. "Get clean sheets, and make this 
 bed up immediately," she said. 
 
 The girl started, but looked relieved at having any- 
 thing explicit to do. She ran off to obey, and Dorothy 
 came back to the sickroom. 
 
 "Hush !" she said, going up to Mrs. Harvey, who 
 was standing, shaking from head to foot with dry 
 sobs. "You must not give way like this; it is very 
 wrong. Remember, you have not only yourself to 
 think of." She bent forward and whispered a word 
 in the young mother's ear. Mrs. Harvey started, and 
 with a violent effort controlled herself. 
 
 "I see that you must not be separated from your 
 ihild," continued Dorothy, "at least not at present. 
 I am having a bed made up for you in the dressing- 
 room, where you will be within call."
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 45 
 
 " Ah, yes, that's better," said the poor lady ; "that's 
 much better." 
 
 "Come, then, at once," said Dorothy. She held 
 out her hand. Mrs. Harvey crossed the room. She 
 and Dorothy disappeared into the dressing-room. 
 
 In ten minutes the nurse came back to Dr. Staun- 
 ton. "I have undressed her, and she is in bed," she 
 said. "She is very weak, and in a terribly nervous 
 -condition; she ought to sleep for hours. Will you 
 prepare a composing draught for her at once ?" 
 
 "Yes," said the doctor ; "I have brought some med- 
 icines with me." 
 
 He went out of the room, and returned in a min- 
 ute or two with a small dose in a glass. 
 
 Dorothy took it into the dressing-room. Mrs. Har- 
 vey's tired eyes were shut already. 
 
 "Now, you are to drink this/' said Dorothy, rais- 
 ing her head slightly. "Drink this don't open your 
 eyes. Trust. Lean on me, if you like. Believe me, 
 that nothing would induce me not to call you if your 
 ohild were in real danger; but you must sleep now 
 sleep, and try to believe that all will be well." 
 
 "You comfort me, nurse," said Mrs. Harvey. "You 
 are strong. I somehow believe in you."
 
 46 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 "You may do so," said Dorothy. She bent down 
 and kissed the hot lips. She absolutely forgot that 
 she was only the nurse, and that the tired woman in 
 the bed was a lady of high position. At such a mo- 
 ment as this they were only two women, two sisters. 
 
 Dorothy waited for a moment to see the sleeping 
 draught take effect ; then, drawing down the blind, 
 she left the room, closing the door softly behind her. 
 
 When she returned to the nursery Dr. Staunton 
 was bending over little Freda, who had opened her 
 eyes and was moaning in terrible pain. 
 
 "The fever is better," he said, turning to the nurse ; 
 "the feverish stage is over, and of course, although 
 we may expect, and must guard against, complica- 
 tions, there is no reason why the child should not 
 do well as far as that is concerned; but the state of 
 the throat is the real anxiety. I do not like to sug- 
 gest such a terrible operation as tracheotomy, but 
 if the child does not get relief before long I fear 
 there is no help for it, and it must be performed." 
 
 Dorothy bent down and examined the little patient 
 caryfully. 
 
 "I have had a good deal of experience in these 
 cases," she said after a pause, "and have found"
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 47 
 
 she mentioned a certain remedy which could be in- 
 haled "work wonders, especially in the cases of 
 children." 
 
 "I have not heard of it," said Dr. Staunton, knit- 
 ting his brows in anxiety, "but it sounds simple, and 
 I see no harm in trying it." 
 
 "It is very simple," said Dorothy. "I should like 
 to try it." 
 
 The child moaned and tossed on her pillow. 
 
 The doctor went out of the room to prepare the 
 medicine which the nurse had recommended, and 
 Dorothy called one of the frightened servants to her 
 side. She told her that she meant to take the child 
 up and walk about the room with her in her arms. 
 
 "While she is out of bed I will have the windows 
 closed," said the nurse, "and of course she must be 
 well wrapped up in blankets. She may drop off to 
 sleep again in my arms ; anyhow, the change of posi- 
 tion and the slight movement will be most refresh- 
 ing to her. Will you make the bed and put on clean 
 sheets while I am walking about with the child ?" 
 
 The girl promised to obey. 
 
 "It is very infectious, ain't it, miss?" she said 
 suddenly.
 
 48 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 "It is in God's hands," replied the nurse. 
 
 There was a sound in her voice, a sort of thrill of 
 strength, which subjugated the girl at once and made 
 her forget her fears. She obeyed the nurse's direc- 
 tions with a will ; and when, in an hour's time, Dr. 
 Staunton returned with the remedy which Nurse 
 Dorothy had suggested, he scarcely knew the sick- 
 room. 
 
 The little child had been laid away again in bed. 
 Her long hair was combed away from her pale, worn 
 face. Dorothy had plaited it neatly; the little face 
 was washed, and looked almost cool compared with 
 its old flushed and weary condition. The bed was 
 neat, and in perfect order, with snowy sheets. The 
 tired little head rested on a cool pillow. Dorothy 
 and the maid had removed the carpets from the floor, 
 and the room was sprinkled with a disinfectant. Two 
 of the windows were open, and a faint, sweet breath 
 of air from the garden outside blew into the room. 
 
 "Why, nurse, this is an admirable change," said 
 the doctor. 
 
 "It is necessary," replied Nurse Dorothy. "There 
 is no chance of recovery without fresh air and a cool, 
 quiet, calm atmosphere. I think Rhoda" she looked
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 49 
 
 at the servant as she spoke "will help me with this 
 ease, and I should like as few other people as possible 
 in the room. I have promised Mrs. Harvey to call 
 her if there is any change for the worse in the child, 
 but my impression is she will soon be better." 
 
 "God grant it !" said the doctor. 
 
 "What a. blessing a good, properly-trained nurse 
 is!" he thought, as he went off to the room which 
 had been prepared for him, and where he was glad 
 to take an hour or two of much needed rest.
 
 CHAPTER IV 
 
 ALL through the long hours of that day Dorothy 
 watched by the sick child. The child was on the 
 Borderland. Her life hung in the balance a feath- 
 er's weight on either side, and she would go to the 
 country from which there is no return, or she would 
 become well again. Dorothy's efforts were directed 
 to turning the balance in the scale toward life. 
 
 Notwithstanding all her care, however, and all the 
 .alleviations which she used, the sick child suffered 
 and moaned terribly. The awful state of the throat, 
 the terrible prostration caused by this form of blood 
 poisoning, were no light foes to have to beat and 
 conquer. But unceasing care presently produced a 
 happy result, and toward evening the high tempera- 
 ture went down a couple of degrees, and the child's 
 breathing became less difficult. 
 
 "I believe she will recover," said Dorothy, look- 
 ing at Dr. Staunton, who had just come into the 
 
 60
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 51 
 
 room. "I hope you agree with me, doctor, in think- 
 ing that she is rather better?" 
 
 "Yes," replied the doctor, "she is better; she is 
 less feverish, and her breathing is easier. You have 
 done wonders already." 
 
 "What happy news for her poor mother! I am 
 so glad that I can tell her that the child is really 
 better," said Dorothy. "I want to induce her to give 
 the little creature altogether into my care for the 
 present, and not to come near her again unless a 
 change for the worse should set in. I hear Mrs. Har- 
 vey stirring now in the next room, so she may be in 
 at any moment. May I speak to her, doctor? Do 
 you give me leave to tell her that her child is on 
 the mend, and that you would rather she kept out 
 of the room?" 
 
 "I would do anything in the world to keep her 
 out of the room," said the doctor. "Yes, I give you 
 full leave to say what you please. You would have 
 more influence with her than I should have. I am 
 almost as great a stranger to her as you are. Use 
 your strongest influence, nurse do what you can. I 
 believe in you. I am sure she will do the same." 
 
 "I'll go into the day nursery and wash my hands 
 before I see Mrs. Harvey," said Dorothy.
 
 52 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 She was scarcely a moment away. In a couple of 
 minutes she was standing by Mrs. Harvey's bed. 
 
 Exhausted by her days and nights of watching, 
 the tired-out mother had slept all through the long 
 hours of the day. She opened her eyes now with a 
 start. Healing sleep had done wonders for her 
 the dewy look of youth had come back to her face ; 
 her beautiful blue eyes were fixed for a moment on 
 Dorothy with a puzzled expression of non-recogni- 
 tion. 
 
 "Where am I ? What has happened ?" she asked 
 in a startled voice. 
 
 "You have just had a lovely sleep," said Dorothy. 
 "You'll be all the better for it." 
 
 "And who are you ? I cannot quite collect my 
 thoughts I know something has happened. Who 
 are you ? I cannot remember you." 
 
 "I am the nurse who is taking care of your dear 
 little girl. She is better." 
 
 "Oh, yes; now I remember," said Mrs. Harvey. 
 She sat up in bed and clasped her hands tightly. 
 
 "It was wrong of me to sleep so long," she said, 
 "but I won't be a moment getting dressed. I must 
 go back to the child at once."
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 5S 
 
 "Will you come to your room ?" said Dorothy. 
 "You can change yeur dress there. I know Mr. Har- 
 vey is most anxious that you should dine with him 
 this evening." 
 
 "Dine with my husband ! have dinner ? But 
 Freda is ill ! she is at death's door !" 
 
 "She is ill, undoubtedly; but she is better. She 
 is on the mend. I am taking good care of her. Don't 
 you trust me ?" 
 
 "Oh, yes, I trust you ; but I must go back to her. 
 Don't talk to me of dinner; I could not eat. Is it 
 really evening ? Oh, now I remember everything at 
 last I remember ! We have been in agony. We have 
 lived through such a week. We have been down in 
 the depths, truly. Yes! yes! I recollect it all my 
 little child ! my only little child ! my darling ! my 
 treasure ! Oh, nurse, you should not have allowed 
 me to sleep on all day ! You should have called me ! 
 She may have been wanting me. But you say she ia 
 
 better better ; but perhaps Dr. Staunton Oh,, 
 
 I am frightened ! Are you keeping anything from 
 me ? Oh, my head ! my poor head ! I shall go mad ! 
 I shall lose my senses !" 
 
 "JSTo, dear Mrs. Harvey," said Dorothy; "I have
 
 54 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 good news for you, not bad. Freda is really better 
 she is less feverish, and her throat does not hurt 
 her so badly. I don't pretend that she is yet out of 
 danger, but if she continues to improve as she has 
 done during the last seven or eight hours she will be 
 oui of danger before long. Now I want you to take 
 care of yourself and to trust your child to me." 
 
 "Oh, I cannot give the child up to any one ! You 
 must not keep me from her another moment. I am 
 not a bit hungry, but I'll have something to eat in 
 her room, if you'll bring it to me. How awfully my 
 darling must have missed me! she is such a child 
 for her mother. Let me go to her at once my dear 
 little treasure!" 
 
 "Dr. Staunton is very anxious that you should 
 not go to her to-night." 
 
 "How can he dare to keep a mother from her 
 child ? Here ! give me my dress, will you ? I tell 
 you that nothing will Keep me from the room. I am 
 sure you are deceiving me." 
 
 "Do you really think I would deceive you?" said 
 Dorothy. "Before you went to sleep you promised 
 to trust me. Look at me now look into my eyes. 
 I have nursed a great many sick children I have
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 55 
 
 seen many mothers in agony I have never deceived 
 one. When the truth was good I have told it ; when 
 it was bad I have also told it. I am not deceiving 
 you, Mrs. Harvey." 
 
 Poor Mrs. Harvey's dazed and frightened eyes 
 gazed into Dorothy's strong face. Its repose, its calm, 
 impressed her. She was in an overstrung and highly 
 hysterical state. She burst into tears. 
 
 "I do trust you, nurse," she said with a great sob. 
 "I trust you, and I bless you. I know my dear little 
 one is better. Oh, thank God ! thank the great and 
 good God ! But, dear nurse, I must go to her. You 
 are tired, and I am quite rested and refreshed. I'll 
 spend the night with the child, and you can go to 
 bed." 
 
 "No, dear madam ; I cannot resign the care of the 
 child to any one. I am using a certain remedy, in 
 the form of a spray, which no one in this house un- 
 derstands but me. If that remedy which has made 
 the child better is not continued unceasingly during 
 the whole of this night, her throat will get as bad 
 as ever, and there will be no hope of her recovery. I 
 want you, Mrs. Harvey, to sleep to-night, and leave 
 the child in my care. I wish this, and the doctor
 
 56 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 wishes it, and I am sure, if you asked your husband, 
 he would tell you that he wished the same. You are 
 not required to do anything for little Freda, and it 
 is your duty to take care of yourself. If she gets 
 worse, I promise to come for you I promise this, 
 Mrs. Harvey. Now will you go to your room and 
 dress, and then go downstairs and have some dinner ? 
 In the morning I expect to have splendid news for 
 you." 
 
 Mrs. Harvey clasped her hands in perplexity and 
 uncertainty. 
 
 "It is dreadful to keep a mother from her child," 
 she said, "and yet and yet " 
 
 "And yet in this case it is right," said Dorothy. 
 "You must remember that you have not only Freda 
 to think of. There is your husband, and " 
 
 "Oh, yes, I know ; there is my poor, little, unhappy 
 baby ; but I cannot love it as I love Freda." 
 
 "Still, you owe it a duty. It is not right of you 
 to do anything to risk its life or your own. When 
 it comes to you, you will see how dearly you love it. 
 Now, please, let me take you to your room." 
 
 "But may I not take one peep at my little treas- 
 ure?"
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 57 
 
 "She is asleep just now, and you may wake her. 
 Please let me take you to your room." 
 
 Mrs. Harvey staggered to her feet. 
 
 "I trust you, nurse," she said with a wistful sort 
 of look. "You will remember your promise ?" 
 
 "I will; nothing in the world will make me go 
 Lack from my word. Now come with me." 
 
 Dorothy led Mrs. Harvey away. They walked 
 down the corridor together. The nurse opened a baize 
 door, which shut away the nurseries from the rest 
 of the house, and a moment later found herself stand- 
 ing in Mrs. Harvey's luxurious bedroom. Her maid 
 was there, and Dorothy asked her to help her mis- 
 tress to dress. 
 
 "What dress will you wear, madam ?" asked the 
 girl. 
 
 "Anything it doesn't matter what," replied Mrs. 
 Harvey. 
 
 "Yes, it matters a great deal," said Dorothy. "You 
 ought to wear a pretty dress ; I think it is your duty 
 to do so. You have got to think of the squire. Noth- 
 ing will please him and reassure him more than to 
 see you coming down to dinner looking bright and 
 pretty in one of your nice dresses."
 
 58 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 "Really, nurse, you amaze me," began Mrs. Har- 
 vey, but then the shadow of a smile crept into her 
 pyes. "I don't think you would talk like that if you 
 did not really think Freda would get well," she ex- 
 claimed suddenly. 
 
 "My impression is that she will get well," replied 
 Dorothy. "Now, please, put on one of your pretty 
 dresses." 
 
 "That pink dress with the lace ruffles, Martin," 
 said Mrs. Harvey, turning to the maid. She got up 
 as she spoke, walked across the room, and put her 
 arms around Dorothy's white neck. 
 
 "You are a very brave woman," she said. "You 
 are some one to lean on. It rests me to lean on you 
 I love you already." 
 
 "And I love you," said Dorothy in her simple, 
 direct fashion. "God has given you to me to take 
 care of just now, and I fully believe that your sweet 
 little girl will be spared to you. Now, I see you are 
 going to be very brave and good yourself, and I'll 
 go back to the child. I ought not to be too long away 
 from her." 
 
 All through the night that followed the nurse per- 
 severed in the remedies which were slowly but surely
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 59 
 
 undermining the awful blood poisoning. Slowly but 
 surely, as the hours advanced, the fell disease lost its 
 power, the choking sensation grew less and less in the 
 throat, the horrible fungus-like membrane became ab- 
 sorbed, and the child, exhausted, worn to a little 
 shadow, dropped, toward morning, into a peaceful 
 and natural sleep. 
 
 "From my heart I believe I have conquered," 
 thought Dorothy. She sank on her knees by the bed- 
 side. She felt worn out herself. Never before had 
 she nursed a case like this. Never before had she 
 gone through such a hand-to-hand fight with death. 
 The child was far gone when she arrived. The diph- 
 theria was particularly acute, and the poor little 
 frame was already terribly weakened by the sharp 
 attack of scarlet fever. 
 
 "Another twelve hours, and nothing would have 
 saved her," murmured Dorothy. "Oh, I thank Thee, 
 my God I thank Thee for this mercy! Oh, what 
 a joy it is to feel that I can give this child back to 
 her mother!" 
 
 Dorothy remained by the bedside. Her head was 
 bowed on her hands. Some one touched her on the 
 shoulder. She looked up, and met the keen eyes of
 
 60 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 Dr. Staunton, who was looking dreadfully pale and 
 tired himself. 
 
 "See," said Dorothy, rising and pointing to the 
 child, "she is not feverish now ; she sleeps sweetly." 
 
 "She will recover," said the doctor. "Thank the 
 Almighty !" 
 
 "I believe she will certainly recover," replied Dor- 
 othy. 
 
 "It is your doing, nurse." 
 
 "With God's blessing," she answered, bowing her 
 head. 
 
 The doctor asked her one or two more questions. 
 
 "Now, the thing is, to keep up her strength," said 
 Dorothy in conclusion. "She must have every im- 
 aginable form of nourishment. But that can be done, 
 for I mean to undertake the management of her food 
 myself. Please, Dr. Staunton, will you tell Mrs. 
 Harvey the good news that her child is out of dan- 
 
 "Yes," said the doctor ; "but ought not that to be 
 your own reward ?" 
 
 "No! no! I don't want to go near her. I wish 
 you to do all in your power to keep her from the 
 room. I believe that when she knows that her child
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 61 
 
 is really on the mend she will be guided by your 
 wishes and those of her husband. I have a kind of 
 feeling I may be wrong, of course but I have a 
 kind of feeling that God will stay His hand in this 
 matter, and that the plague will not spread. Now, 
 the thing is to think of the mother. I suppose you 
 will attend to her when her baby is born ?" 
 
 "She has asked me to do so." 
 
 "Then, don't you think," said Dorothy, after a 
 pause for reflection, "don't you think you might 
 leave little Freda to me? I am willing to be shut 
 up in this part of the house with the child and one 
 of the maids, a girl called Rhoda, who has been most 
 helpful to me during the last twenty-four hours. If 
 you are wanted, doctor, you are on the spot ; but un- 
 less there is occasion, don't you think it would be best 
 for you not to come into this room ?" 
 
 "It would be certainly the safest course as regards 
 the mother," pursued the doctor in a thoughtful tone. 
 "You are a wonderful woman, nurse. I'll go and 
 consult the squire."
 
 CHAPTER V 
 
 ONE day, a week after the events related in the last 
 chapter, Dr. Staunton suddenly walked into the lit- 
 tle parlor where Effie and her mother were sitting to- 
 gether. 
 
 Effie sprang up at sight of him. Some needlework 
 over which she had been busy fell to the floor. A rush 
 of color came into her cheeks. 
 
 "Oh, father! father!" she exclaimed. "How de- 
 lightful it is to see you again! Oh, how glad we 
 are ! Is little Freda really better ? How is Mrs. 
 Harvey ? And have you come back to stay, father ?" 
 
 "I can't answer such a lot of questions all together, 
 child," said the doctor with a smile. "Yes, I have 
 come home to stay. The fact is, I am tired out, and 
 simply with doing nothing. Ever since that blessed 
 angel of a woman, Dorothy Eraser, came to The 
 Grange there has been little or nothing for me to do. 
 Yes, that's a fact; I am worn out with doing noth-
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 63 
 
 ing. I should like a cup of tea beyond anything. 
 Make it strong for me, my dear strong and fra- 
 grant." 
 
 "The kettle is boiling," said Effie. "I won't be 
 a minute. Oh, it is delightful to have you back!" 
 She ran out of the room, shutting the door softly be- 
 hind her. 
 
 Dr. Staunton went over and sat on the sofa by his 
 wife. 
 
 "At last, my darling," he said, putting his arms 
 around her, "I am safe back again. You see that for 
 yourself, thank God." 
 
 "Thank God, John," replied Mrs. Staunton. "I 
 have missed you," she repeated. 
 
 She held out both her thin hands. The doctor 
 put his own strong, sinewy hands around them. He 
 clasped them tightly. 
 
 "Oh, how hot you are !" she said, starting back and 
 looking anxiously at him. "Your fingers almost burn 
 me!" 
 
 "I am simply tired, that's all," he replied, "tired 
 out with doing nothing. I don't believe The Grange 
 is a wholesome place ; it is big and grand, and richly 
 furnished, but the air does not suit me. I suspect
 
 64 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 there is something wrong with the drains. The 
 drains are probably at the root of all this mischief 
 to poor little Freda; but let us forget all that now. 
 Let me look at you, wife. How are you ? Why, you 
 look bonnie! bonnie!" 
 
 He stretched out his hand and passed it gently 
 over his wife's faded cheek. "I have been thinking 
 of you morning, noon and night," he said. "You 
 have never been out of my thoughts for a nioment, 
 you and the children that dear little Effie in par- 
 ticular, but the other children, too. I had time to 
 pause and consider during those days of waiting at 
 The Grange, and I could not help remembering that, 
 if anything happened to me, there were five children 
 unprovided for five children, and you, Mary, with 
 the strength of a mouse in you." 
 
 "That's all you know," replied Mrs. Staunton with 
 a little show of spirit. "I am better; I have made 
 wonderful progress during the last few days. You 
 can't think what a good nurse EfEe has been the 
 most considerate, the most thoughtful, the most kind 
 and clever darling you can possibly imagine. She 
 manages the whole house ; our servants would do any- 
 thing for her, and the children love her so much that
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 65 
 
 it is a pleasure to them to obey her. She has that 
 wonderful and invaluable knack in a woman she 
 never teases nor worries ; she just contrives to turn 
 people around her little finger without their knowing 
 anything about it themselves. But now don't let us 
 talk any more about Effie and me. I want to hear 
 your news. How is Mrs. Harvey? How has she 
 borne the death of her poor little baby ?" 
 
 "It lived just two hours after its birth," said the 
 doctor with a sad look on his face. "The shock the 
 poor mother underwent evidently had some effect 
 upon it. Well, she is getting on splendidly she 
 seemed to know from the first that her poor little baby 
 would not live, but as Freda is doing so well, not a 
 murmuring word has passed her lips. She is a sweet 
 young woman, and I am thankful to say I don't be- 
 lieve she took a scrap of infection from poor little 
 Freda." 
 
 "And the little one is she continuing to get bet- 
 ter?" 
 
 "She is doing magnificently, thanks to that fine 
 creature, Dorothy Fraser. I never came across such 
 a woman. If you only saw, Mary, the state of hope- 
 less confusion, of pandemonium for it really
 
 66 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 amounted to that of that wretched house the morn- 
 ing Miss Fraser arrived ; if you could only have seen 
 the condition of the sickroom, and then have gone 
 into it two hours later why, it was like stepping 
 from the infernal regions into Paradise. The order 
 of the sickroom seemed to affect the whole house. 
 The servants ceased to be in a state of panic, the 
 meals were properly cooked, the squire came back to 
 his normal condition, and Mrs. Harvey became quite 
 cheerful. In short, except for the loss of her poor 
 little one, she seems to have had no ill effects from 
 the terrible strain she has undergone. Little Freda 
 is making rapid marches toward recovery, and I do 
 not at present see the slightest trace of the disease 
 spreading through the house." 
 
 "Have you seen Freda often ?" asked Mrs. Staun- 
 ton. 
 
 "No ; that good soul simply forbade it I was like 
 wax in her hands. Of course her reason was a very 
 legitimate one, or I should not have submitted to it, 
 for it would not have been safe for me to have at- 
 tended to Mrs. Harvey coming straight from the 
 child's room. All is now gmng on well at The Grange 
 and I can come home and rest."
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 67 
 
 "I wish you did not look so dreadfully worn out," 
 said Mrs. Staunton. 
 
 "Oh, the home air will soon pull me together. 
 Heigho-ho ! Here you come, my good angel, and the 
 tea is more than welcome." 
 
 The doctor sank back in his deep armchair. 
 
 Effie placed the fragrant tea on the table, and pour- 
 ing out a cupful, brought it to her father. She 
 had made crisp toast, as well, but he did not care to 
 eat. 
 
 ''Thank you, child," he said; "I am not hungry. 
 The meals up at that place are preposterous noth- 
 ing short of preposterous. There is no doubt what- 
 ever that far more people die from eating too much 
 than from eating too little. I wonder the squire has 
 a scrap of digestion left heavy meat breakfasts, 
 heavy meat luncheons, and then a groaning dinner at 
 the end of the day. Such meals! and practically 
 nothing to do for them ! for what has a man of that 
 sort to occupy his time beyond what one would call 
 fiddle-faddle ? Well, this tea is refreshing ; I will go 
 for a walk afterward. And now tell me, Effie, have 
 you heard anything about my patients ?" 
 
 "Mr. Edwards called this morning, and said they
 
 68 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 were all doing well," said Effie. "The little Beels 
 have got whooping-cough, but I do not think any one 
 else is ill. Of course, poor Mrs. Watson is much as 
 usual, but hers is a chronic case." 
 
 "Ah, yes, poor soul !" The doctor gave an appre- 
 hensive glance toward his wife. "I cannot call to 
 see Mrs. Watson for a day or two," he said ; "not that 
 there is the least scrap of infection, for I changed 
 everything before I came home, but in her state it 
 would not do to make her feel nervous. Well, wife 
 and daughter, it is good to see you both again; and 
 now I am going out for a stroll." 
 
 The doctor left the room. Effie stood by the table. 
 She was putting back his empty cup on the tray and 
 preparing to take the things into the kitchen, when 
 her mother spoke. 
 
 "What is the matter with your father ?" she said 
 in a husky voice. 
 
 Effie slightly turned her back. "He is just tired," 
 she answered, "that's all." 
 
 "Put down that tray, Effie, and come here," said 
 her mother. 
 
 Effie obeyed. 
 
 "Yes, mother," she said. "Now, mother, darling, 
 you are not going to get nervous ?"
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 69 
 
 "No! no! I am not nervous," said Mrs. Staun- 
 ton. Her lips trembled slightly. "I am not nervous. 
 Nothing shall make me show nervousness or weak- 
 ness of any sort in a time of real extremity. But, 
 Effie, child, I know something." 
 
 "What in the world do you know, mother ?" Effie 
 tried to smile. 
 
 "Your father is ill. The unimportant people have 
 escaped, but he has taken this complaint. He is ill, 
 Effie I know it." 
 
 "Now, mother, is that likely ?" said Effie. "Father 
 comes home tired, he has gone through a great deal 
 of anxiety has he not all his life been exposed to 
 infection of all kinds? Why should he be ill now? 
 Besides, if he were ill he would say so. Mother, dar- 
 ling, I cannot listen to this kind of talk." 
 
 "All right, my dear, I will say no more. It some- 
 times happens so, Effie. Lives we think of no ac- 
 count are spared spared on indefinitely. The one 
 life on which so many others hang is taken." 
 
 "Mother, I do not understand you." 
 
 "I understand myself," said Mrs. Staunton. "I 
 know what I fear. Nay, I do not fear it I rise 
 up with strength to meet it. You will see, Effie,
 
 70 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 'dear, that your mother is no coward in any real dan- 
 ger." 
 
 "You are a dear," said Effie. "You are the best 
 and most unselfish mother in the world. I feel 
 ashamed of myself when I see how bravely you strug- 
 gle against the weakness and the anxiety which must 
 be yours, more or less, always. But now, mother, 
 dear, you will not look trouble in the face before it 
 comes you will not meet it half way. If you are 
 really better, come out into the garden, and we will 
 take a turn before dinner." 
 
 "Very well, my dear." 
 
 "I want to show you the sweetpeas that have come 
 up in the south border," continued Effie. "Come, 
 let us talk of pleasant things, and be cheerful when 
 father comes home." 
 
 "Oh, I will be perfectly cheerful," said Mrs. Staun- 
 ton. 
 
 She went into the good-sized garden at the back 
 of the little cottage and began with nervous, ener- 
 getic fingers to pick some flowers, and to arrange 
 them in a big nosegay. 
 
 "We will put these in the center of the supper- 
 table," she said. "I should like to have everything
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 71 
 
 as bright and cheerful as possible for your father 
 to-night." 
 
 "Yes, that's capital," said Effie. 
 
 "We ought to have something particularly good 
 for him to eat, Effie." 
 
 "But, mother, he said he wasn't hungry. You 
 remember how he complained of having so many 
 meals at The Grange." 
 
 "Yes! yes! He always was a most abstemious 
 man ; but I know what he never can resist, and that 
 is cold raspberry tart and cream. There are plenty 
 of raspberries ripe in the plantation I will gather 
 some, and I'll make the pastry for the tart myself." 
 
 "Very well, mother; but is it well for you to fag 
 yourself picking those raspberries, and then making 
 the tart?" 
 
 "I want to make it I should love to make it. I 
 used to be famed for my pastry. My mother used 
 to say, 'You have a light hand for pastry, Mary.' I 
 remember so well when I made my first tart. I was 
 just fifteen it was my fifteenth birthday. Mother 
 showed me how to do it; and I remember how the 
 water ran all over the pastryboard. Afterward I 
 was the best hand at pastry in the house. Yes, I'll
 
 72 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 make the tart myself. Here is sixpence, Effie; run 
 to the dairy and get some cream. And listen, love! 
 As you go through the house you might tell Jane 
 to get the pastryboard ready." 
 
 "All right, mother, I'll tell her to put it in the 
 larder. You must not go into the hot kitchen to 
 make that tart." 
 
 "Very well, child; I'll remember. Now run and 
 get the cream." 
 
 Effie left her mother standing by the raspberry 
 plantation. She was pulling the ripe raspberries and 
 dropping them into a large cabbage leaf which she 
 held. Her slender but weak figure was drawn up to 
 its full height. There was a look of nervous energy 
 about her which Effie had not observed for many 
 a long day. The curious phase into which her mother 
 had entered had an alarming effect upon the young 
 girl. It frightened her far more than her father's 
 look of lassitude and the burning touch of his hands. 
 She tried to turn her thoughts from it. After all, 
 why should she become nervous herself, and meet 
 trouble half way ? 
 
 She went across the village street, and entering 
 the dairy, asked for the cream.
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 73 
 
 "Is it true, Miss Staunton, that the doctor has 
 come back again ?" asked the woman of the shop, as 
 she handed Effie the jug of cream across the counter. 
 
 "Yes, Mrs. Pattens, it is quite true," replied Effie. 
 "There's good news now at The Grange. Mrs. Har- 
 vey is doing splendidly, and little Freda is nearly 
 well again." 
 
 "Well, it is a good thing the doctor can be spared," 
 said the woman. "We want him bad enough here, 
 and it seemed cruel like that he should have been sort 
 of buried alive at The Grange." 
 
 "He is only able to be spared now," said Effie, 
 "because he has secured the services of a very won- 
 derful nurse." 
 
 "Oh, one of the Eraser girls," said the woman in 
 a tone of contempt, "those newcomers, who have not 
 been settled in the place above a year. For my part, 
 I don't hold with lady nurses. I am told they are 
 all stuck up and full of airs, and that they need a" 4 
 sight more waiting on than the patients themselves. 
 When you get a lady nurse into the house you have 
 to think more of the nurse than of the patient, that's 
 what I am told." 
 
 "It is not true," replied Effie, her eye? flashing
 
 74 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 angrily; "at least," she continued, "it is not true in 
 the case of Nurse Eraser. You must get my father 
 to talk to you about her some day. I am afraid I 
 haven't time to spare now. Good-evening, Mrs. Pat- 
 tens." 
 
 Effie went home with her jug of cream. Mrs. 
 Staunton was still in the larder, making the rasp- 
 berry tart. Effie went and watched her, as her long, 
 thin fingers dabbled in the flour, manipulated the 
 roller, spread out the butter, and presently produced 
 a light puff paste, which, as Effie expressed it, looked 
 almost as if you could blow it away. 
 
 "That's the best raspberry tart I have ever made," 
 said Mrs. Staunton. "Now we will put it in the
 
 CHAPTER VI 
 
 THE raspberry tart was put in the oven, and Mrs. 
 Staunton went upstairs to her own room. 
 
 She was a woman who, as a rule, utterly disre- 
 garded dress. She gave but little thought to her per- 
 sonal appearance. Like many other women of the 
 middle class, she had sunk since her marriage from 
 the trim, pretty girl to the somewhat slatternly ma- 
 tron. 
 
 Nothing could destroy the sweet comeliness of 
 her face, however, but in the struggle for life she 
 and Fashion had fallen out Fashion went in one 
 direction, and Mrs. Staunton strayed gently in an- 
 other. She did not mind whether her dress was cut 
 according to the mode or not she scarcely looked 
 at her faded but still pretty face. Now and then 
 this trait in her mother's character vexed Erne. Erne 
 adored her mother; she thought her the most beauti- 
 ful of women, and anything that took from her sweet 
 charms annoyed her. 
 
 75
 
 76 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 This evening, however, Mrs. Staunton made a care- 
 ful and deliberate toilet. 
 
 She removed her dowdy black dress, and opening 
 a drawer in her wardrobe, took out a soft gray silk 
 which lay folded between tissue paper and sprigs of 
 lavender. She put the dress on, and fastened soft 
 lace ruffles around her throat and at her wrists. The 
 dress transformed her. It toned with all her faded 
 charms. She put a real lace cap over her still thick 
 and pretty hair, and going down to the little parlor, 
 sat upright on one of the chairs near the window 
 which looked into the garden. 
 
 Effie came in presently, and started when she saw 
 her mother. 
 
 "Why, mother," she said, "how sweet! how sweet 
 you look!" She went over and kissed her. Mrs. 
 Staunton returned her embrace very quietly. 
 
 "It is for your father," she said. "He would like 
 me to look nice I am sure he'd like us all to look 
 nice to-night. Go upstairs, Effie, dear, and put on 
 your pretty blue muslin. And you, Agnes, I wish 
 you to wear your Sunday frock." 
 
 Agnes, who had bounded into the room at this mo- 
 ment, stopped short in astonishment.
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 77 
 
 "Are we all going to a party ?" she asked, excite- 
 ment in her tone. 
 
 "No ! no ! But your father has come home." 
 
 "Only father! What does that matter?" Agnes 
 lolled on to the sofa and crossed her legs. "I want 
 to read over my lecture for the High School. I can't 
 be bothered to change my dress !" she exclaimed. 
 
 "Yes, Aggie, go at once when mother wishes you," 
 said Effie. "Go and put on your Sunday frock, and 
 tell Katie to do the same, and ask Susan to put the 
 younger children into their white dresses. Go at 
 once; mother wishes it." 
 
 Agnes flung herself out of the room muttering. 
 
 Effie looked again at her mother. 
 
 Mrs. Staunton did not notice her; she was smiling 
 softly to herself and looking out at the garden. Effie 
 felt her heart sink lower and lower. 
 
 She went gravely upstairs, put on her blue dress, 
 brushed out her bright, dark hair, and looking her 
 sweetest and freshest, came downstairs again. Mrs. 
 Staunton was still sitting by the window. Her cheeks 
 were flushed, her eyes were unusually bright. She 
 looked twenty years younger than she had done two 
 hours ago she looked beautiful. The soul seemed
 
 78 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 to shine out of her face. When Effie came in she 
 stood up restlessly and looked at the supper table. 
 
 "Yes," she said, "it is just as he likes it the fra- 
 grant coffee, the raspberry tart and the jug of cream, 
 the new-laid eggs, the brown loaf and the fresh but- 
 ter. A simple sort of meal yes, quite simple and 
 very wholesome. Very homelike, that's the word. 
 Effie, there never was such a homelike sort of man 
 as your father. Give him home and you fill his heart. 
 This supper table is just what he will like best. He 
 does not care for new-fangled things. He is old- 
 fashioned he is the best of men, Effie, the best of 
 men." 
 
 "He will be glad to see you in your nice dress, 
 mother he is so proud of you he thinks you are 
 so lovely!" 
 
 "So I am, in his eyes," said Mrs. Staunton in a 
 wistful voice. "I am old-fashioned like himself, and 
 this dress is old-fashioned, too. It was a pretty dress 
 when it was made up. Let me see, that was twelve 
 years ago we went to Margate for a week, and he 
 bought me the dress. He took great pains in choosing 
 the exact shade of gray; he wanted it to be silver 
 gray he said his mother used to wear silver gray;
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 79 
 
 when she sat in the porch on summer evenings. Yes,, 
 this dress is like a piece of old lavender it reminds 
 me of the past, of the sunny, happy past. I have 
 had such a happy life, Effie never a cross word said, 
 never a dour look given to me. Love has surrounded 
 me from the moment of my marriage until now. I 
 feel young to-night, and I am going to be happy, very 
 happy. The children must look their best, too. Kun 
 up, darling, to the nursery, and see that Susan is. 
 doing them justice they are pretty children, every 
 one of them, worthy of your father. Now, let me 
 see, would not a few roses improve this table ? That 
 great jug of sweetpeas in the middle is just what he 
 likes, but we might have roses and mignonette as 
 well. I'll go and gather a bunch of those Banksia 
 roses which grow in front of the house." 
 
 "You'll tire yourself, mother. Let me go." 
 "No; I never felt stronger than I do to-night. 
 I'd like to pick them myself." 
 
 Mrs. Staunton went out of doors. She cut great 
 sprays from the Banksia rose and brought them back 
 with her. She placed them in a brown jug, and stood 
 the jug on the table. Then she opened both windows 
 wide, and left the door ajar. There was the sweet-
 
 80 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 66t smell wafted through the room the sweetpeas, 
 roses, mignonette, seemed to be floating in the air. 
 
 The children all came down dressed in their Sun- 
 day frocks. They looked puzzled, uncomfortable, 
 awed. One and all asked the same question: 
 
 "Is it a party, mother ? Are any visitors coming 
 to tea?" 
 
 "ISTo ! no !" replied the mother to each in his or her 
 turn. "It is only your father who has come home, 
 and it is right that we should give him a welcome." 
 
 When she had answered the last of the children 
 Dr. Staunton entered the room. 
 
 He started at the pretty sight which met his eyes. 
 The room and the temptingly laid out supper table 
 the children in their best dresses the old wife in 
 her gray silk looked to him the most beautiful sight 
 his eyes had ever rested on. 
 
 What was all this festival about ? He drew him- 
 self up hastily ; a sort of shudder went through him. 
 In spite of his efforts his voice was terribly husky. 
 
 "Are we going to have company ?" he asked with 
 a twinkle in his eyes. All the other eyes looked back 
 at him. He knew perfectly well, even before the 
 children burst out with the news, that he himself was 
 the company.
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 81 
 
 "You have come back, father ; and mother says we 
 are to look our very best," exclaimed little Phil. 
 
 "All right, Phil, I am more than agreeable," re- 
 plied the doctor. "Now you must excuse me, good 
 folks. I am bound in duty to do honor to all this 
 company splendor by washing my hands and putting 
 on my Sunday-go-to-meeting coat." 
 
 "Effie, you may fetch the coffee," said her mother. 
 
 The supper that followed was a merry meal Dr. 
 Staunton told his best stories they were capped by 
 his wife's. Effie laughed as if she had never heard 
 them before, and the children made themselves riot- 
 ously agreeable. 
 
 When the meal was at an end Dr. Staunton and 
 his wife went out into the garden at the back of 
 the house. He drew his arm around her waist, and 
 they walked up and down together on the little rose 
 path at the top of the garden. 
 
 Effie watched them from the parlor window. There 
 was a queer lump in her throat. She could not get 
 over the strange sensation of nervousness and coming 
 disaster. The foreboding which filled her soul could 
 not be fought down. She had laughed almost against 
 her will at supper time, but now she ceased to smile
 
 82 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 she no longer made the faintest attempt to be cheer- 
 ful. She hated the pretty room, and the sweetpeas, 
 and the roses and mignonette. 
 
 The children were idly lolling about. She turned 
 and spoke almost crossly. 
 
 "Don't you know, Aggie, that it is long past the 
 younger children's hour for staying up ? Can't you 
 make yourself useful for once, and go up and put 
 them to bed?" 
 
 "Can't you come, Effie we'd much rather have 
 you," said little Phil and Walter, the brother next 
 in age. "Agnes is so cross; she pulls our hair so 
 when she coinbs it out." 
 
 "I don't, you bad boys!" exclaimed Agnes, color- 
 ing high. "Won't I give it to you next time we 
 are alone, for saying that !" 
 
 "She does, Effie ! she does indeed !" said little Phil, 
 running up to his elder sister and clasping his arms 
 around her light blue dress. 
 
 "Don't, Phil! You will spoil my pretty frock!" 
 she cried. 
 
 "Why, you are cross, too!" he answered, looking 
 up at her. He was so startled and amazed at this 
 new tone in Effie's voice that words failed him alto-
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 8$ 
 
 gether for a minute. It seemed to him as if a castle 
 of cards had tumbled all over his head, and as if 
 he stood in the middle of the ruins. If Effie were 
 going to turn nasty, according to Phil's idea, there 
 was nothing further to be looked for in life. Walter, 
 however, who was older, had more discernment than 
 his little brother. 
 
 "Effie has a headache," he said; "can't you see 
 that she has a headache ? We'll be very good, indeed, 
 Effie, if Agnes will put us to bed." 
 
 "Come along, then," said Agnes, scuttling them 
 out of the room in front of her. "You must be quick 
 about it, for I have not half prepared my to-morrow's 
 lessons. Now, then, out you go." 
 
 The children disappeared. 
 
 The room was once more empty except for the 
 silent figure who stood in the window. She could 
 catch a glimpse of her father and mother walking 
 up and down in the garden. Presently the two ap- 
 proached the house. Mrs. Staunton went straight up- 
 stairs to her room, and the doctor returned to the 
 parlor. 
 
 "Your mother is very tired to-night, Effie," he 
 eaid in a grave voice.
 
 84 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 He sat down in the armchair just where he could 
 smell the sweetpeas and the Banksia roses. 
 
 "Yes," he continued, "I am anxious about her." 
 There was not a trace now of any of the jollity which 
 had marked him at supper. His face was gray and 
 worn his voice decidedly husky. That huskiness in 
 her father's voice went like a stab to Effie's heart. 
 She shut the door and went and stood by his side. 
 
 "Don't you think you had better go upstairs and 
 .help your mother to get to bed ?" 
 
 "JS T o; she likes best to be alone," replied Erne. 
 "I want to sit by you. What is the matter with your 
 throat ?" 
 
 "My throat! Why?" 
 
 "You are so husky." 
 
 "I am dead beat, that's the truth of it. I am 
 as weak as a cat, and for no earthly reason. Don't 
 bother about my throat, it will be all right after I 
 hare had a good night's rest. I tell you, Effie, I never 
 saw a child so ill as that little Freda Harvey. That 
 woman who nursed her is an angel an angel !" 
 
 "I didn't say too much about her, father, did I ?" 
 said Effie with a little note of triumph coming into 
 her voice even in the midst of her anxiety.
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 85 
 
 "That you didn't, my darling she is one of God's- 
 angels, and I say 'God bless her!' Now I want to 
 talk about your mother." 
 
 "Yes, father," said Erne, laying her hand on his. 
 She started back the moment she did so. The eve- 
 ning was a very hot one, and touching the doctor's 
 hand was like clasping fire. 
 
 "How you burn !" she exclaimed. 
 
 "That's weakness," he said. "I shall take some 
 bromide to-night ; I am completely worn out, shaken, 
 and all that sort of thing. Now, Effie, don't inter- 
 rupt me. I wish to talk of your mother. Are you 
 prepared to listen?" 
 
 "Of course, father." 
 
 "She has been talking to you she says you have 
 got an idea into your head that you ought to make 
 more of your life than you can make of it staying at 
 home, and being the blessing of the house, and the 
 joy of my life and of hers." 
 
 "Oh, father! father! I did wish it," said Effie, 
 tears springing into her eyes. "I did long for it r 
 but I'll give it up, I'll give it all up if it makes you 
 and mother unhappy." 
 
 "But it doesn't, nay dear. The old birds cannot
 
 6 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 expect to keep the young ones in the nest forever and 
 ever. Your mother spoke very sensibly to-night. I 
 never saw any woman so altered for the time being. 
 She would not let me imagine there was a thing the 
 matter with her, and she spoke all the time about 
 you, as though she wanted to plead with me, your 
 father, to give you a happy life. Do you think I 
 would deny it to you, my dear little girl ?" 
 
 "No, father ; you have never denied me anything." 
 
 "I have never denied what was for your good, 
 sweetheart." 
 
 Dr. Staunton clasped Effie to his breast. She flung 
 her arms around him with a sudden tight pressure. 
 
 "Easy ! easy !" he exclaimed. "You are half chok- 
 ing me. My breathing certainly feels oppressed 
 I must have taken a chill. I'll get off to bed as fast 
 -as I can. No, child, you need not be alarmed. I 
 : have often noticed this queer development of hoarse- 
 ness in people who have long breathed the poisonous 
 air which surrounds diphtheria and scarlet fever ; but 
 in my case the hoarseness means nothing. Now, Effie, 
 let me say a word or two to you. I don't know what 
 the future has in it it is impossible for any of us 
 ito know the future, and I say, thank God for the
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 87 
 
 blessed curtain which hides it from our view; but 
 whatever it has in it, my child, I wish you to under- 
 stand that you are to do your best with your life. 
 Make it full if you can in any case make it blessed. 
 A month ago, I will admit frankly, I did not approve 
 of lady nurses. After my wonderful experience, how- 
 ever, with Dorothy Fraser, I must say that I have 
 completely changed my opinion. The girl with heart 
 and nerve, with common sense, with an unselfish 
 spirit, can be a nurse whatever her station in life. 
 If to these qualifications she adds the refinements of 
 good breeding and the education of a lady, she is the 
 best of all." 
 
 "Hurrah!" cried Effie. Tears filled her eyes. 
 "What a grand triumph for Dorothy !" she exclaimed. 
 
 "She deserves every word I have said of her. If 
 she wishes to take you back with her to London when 
 she goes if that is what is now at the bottom of 
 your heart go, child, with my blessing. We shall 
 miss you at home, of course, but we are not worth 
 our salt if we are going to be selfish." 
 
 "You never, never were that," said EfBe. 
 
 "Now I have one more thing to say it is about 
 your mother. I have never really told you my true
 
 88 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 fears about her. You know, of course, that she suf- 
 fers from weakness of the heart. At present that 
 weakness springs from no organic source, but of late 
 there have been symptoms which make me fear that 
 the functional mischief may be developed into the 
 more serious organic form of disease, should any 
 shock be given her. It is that fear which haunts 
 my life I could not live without your mother, child. 
 Effie, child, I could not live without her !" 
 
 The doctor's voice suddenly broke. He bowed his 
 head on his hands, and a broken sort of groan escaped 
 his lips. 
 
 "We'll take all possible care of her," said Effie. 
 "She shall not have any pain, nor fear, nor anx- 
 iety." 
 
 "I know you will do your best," said the doctor; 
 "but if you leave her " 
 
 "I'll never leave her if it is to injure her there, 
 I have promised." 
 
 "You are a good girl. I trust you. I lean on 
 you. Your mother could not live through an anx- 
 iety a great joy, a great trouble, would kill her." 
 
 "It shan't come," said Effie. 
 
 "God grant it may not come," said the doctor in 
 his husky voice.
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 89 
 
 He rose suddenly to his feet. 
 
 "I must go to bed," he said. "I have not had 
 a real proper sleep for nights and nights. By the 
 way, Effie, you know, of course, that my life is in- 
 sured for a thousand pounds. If if at any time 
 that should be needed, it will be there ; it is best for 
 you to know." 
 
 "I wish you would not talk about it, father." 
 
 "Very well, I won't; but talking about things 
 doesn't bring trouble any nearer. I hold it as an 
 article of faith that each man should arrange all he 
 can for the future of his family. Arranging for the 
 future never hastens matters. There is a God above. 
 He has led me all my days. I trust Him absolutely. 
 I submit to His mighty will." 
 
 The doctor left the room his broad back was 
 bowed he walked slowly. 
 
 Effie stood near the door of the little parlor, watch- 
 ing him, until his gray head was lost to view. Then 
 she went back and sat on the old horsehair sofa, with 
 her hands clasped tightly before her. 
 
 "My father is the best man in the world," she 
 murmured under her breath. "I never met any one 
 like my father so simple so straightforward so
 
 90 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 full of real feeling so broad in his views. Talk 
 of a sequestered life making a man narrower; there 
 never was a man more open to real conviction than 
 father. The fact is, no girl ever had better parents 
 than I have; and the wonderful thing is, that they 
 give me leave to go, and take their blessing with me. 
 It is wonderful it is splendid! Agnes must be 
 taught to do my present work. I'll train her for 
 the next three months; and then, perhaps, in the 
 winter, I can join Dorothy in London. Dear father! 
 He is nervous about mother; but while he is there, 
 no harm can come to her. I do not believe one could 
 live without the other. Well, well, I feel excited and 
 nervous myself. I had better follow father's exam- 
 ple and go to bed."
 
 CHAPTER VII 
 
 EFFIE'S little room faced the east. She never drew 
 down her blind at night, and the sun was shining 
 all over her face when her mother came in the next 
 morning to call her. 
 
 Mrs. Staunton, standing in her nightdress, in the 
 middle of the room, called Erne in a shrill voice. 
 
 "What in the world is the matter ?" said her daugh- 
 ter, sitting up and pushing back her hair from her 
 eyes. 
 
 "What I feared," said Mrs. Staunton. "I am not 
 going to break down don't think it for a minute. 
 I am as well as possible." She trembled all over 
 as she spoke. There was a purple spot on one cheek, 
 the other was deadly pale. A blue tint surrounded 
 her lips. "I am perfectly well," continued Mrs. 
 Staunton, breathing in a labored way. "It is only 
 
 that I have got a bit of a Your father is ill, 
 
 Effie. He has got it the dip dip diphtheria ! He 
 is almost choking. Get up, child ! Get up !" 
 
 91
 
 92 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 "Yes, mother," said Effie. 
 
 She tumbled out of bed. Her pretty cheeks were 
 flushed with sleep; her eyes, bright and shining, 
 turned toward the eastern light for a moment. 
 
 "Oh, mother!" she said with a sudden burst of 
 feeling, "do, do let us keep up our courage! Noth- 
 ing will save him if we lose our courage, mother !" 
 
 "We won't," said Mrs. Staunton ; "and that's what 
 I came to speak about. He must have good nursing 
 the very best. Effie, I want you to get Miss Fraser 
 to come here." 
 
 "Miss Eraser! But will she leave little Freda 
 Harvey ?" 
 
 "She must leave her the child is completely out 
 of danger any one can nurse her now. She must 
 leave her and come here, and you must go and fetch 
 her. Your father may lose his life in the cause of 
 that little child. There is not a moment to lose 
 get up, Effie! You can go at once to The Grange. 
 Go ! go quickly, and bring Dorothy Fraser ! We none 
 of us can nurse him as she will. She will do it. He 
 has been murmuring in his sleep about her, about 
 something she did for little Freda, clasping his throat 
 all the time and suffocating. One glance showed me
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 93 
 
 what ailed him when I awoke this morning. He 
 has a hard fight before him, but he must not die 
 I tell you, child, your father must not die!" 
 
 "No! no! mother! God will spare him to us/' 
 said Effie. Tears dimmed her eyes. She got quickly 
 into her clothes. 
 
 "Now I will go," she said. "I will bring Dorothy 
 back with me." 
 
 "If there is any difficulty," said Mrs. Staunton, 
 "if she hesitates for a moment, you must remember 
 there is only one thing to be done." 
 
 "Yes, mother. What do you mean ?" 
 
 "You must offer to nurse Freda Harvey, instead 
 of her. Do you understand ?" 
 
 "And I am not to come back to father when he 
 is ill ?" said Effie, aghast. 
 
 "That is not the point!" exclaimed Mrs. Staun- 
 ton. "The only thing to be considered is, what will 
 save him, and you and I, and our feelings, are of no 
 consequence. His life is so valuable that no sacri- 
 fice is too great to keep it. Go, child! go! If you 
 can come back, come if not, stay." 
 
 "And who will manage the children ? They ought 
 not to remain in the house."
 
 94 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 "Don't worry about the children. Get Dorothy 
 as quickly as possible." 
 
 Effie buttoned her dress and pinned on her hat, 
 and then went out on the landing. 
 
 <r Where are you going, child ? Why don't you go 
 downstairs ?" 
 
 "I must kiss father first." 
 
 "What folly! Why should there be this delay?" 
 
 "I won't be a minute." 
 
 Effie turned the handle of the bedroom door and 
 went softly into the room. Her father was lying on 
 his back there was a livid look about his face. Great 
 beads of perspiration stood on his brow. His eyes 
 were closed. He did not see Effie when she came 
 into the room, but when she bent down and kissed 
 his forehead he opened his eyes and looked at her. 
 He said something which she could not distinguish 
 he was too hoarse to make any words articulate. 
 
 "I am going for Dorothy," she said with a smile. 
 "She'll soon make you better. Good-by. God bless 
 you ! Father, I love you father, I love you !" 
 
 His eyes smiled at her, but his lips could not 
 speak. 
 
 She went quickly out of the room.
 
 CHAPTER VIII 
 
 IT did not take Effie long to harness the old horse 
 to the gig. She had often driven old Jock, and this 
 part of her task did not put her out in the least. 
 She had a curious sense, as she was driving toward 
 The Grange in the fresh, early morning air, of the 
 complete change which was awaiting her. She was 
 quite certain that one door in her life was shut 
 shut forever. She had longed for a change it had 
 come at last with a vengeance; it was horrible it 
 made her shudder. 
 
 Effie was a thoroughly healthy girl, healthy both 
 in mind and body, but now a sick pain was over her. 
 She did not care to think of the real terror which 
 haunted her. She arrived at The Grange between 
 six and seven o'clock. The woman at the lodge ran 
 out and opened the gate for the doctor's gig in some 
 surprise. She thought something was wrong again 
 up at the house; but her surprise strengthened to as- 
 96
 
 96 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 tonishment when she saw that Effie was driving the 
 horse. 
 
 "Why, Miss Effie, what is the matter?" she ex- 
 claimed. Every one in the place knew Effie, and 
 loved her for her father's sake. 
 
 "The doctor is ill, Mrs. Jones," said Effie, "and 
 I have come to fetch Miss Fraser." 
 
 "Oh, God help us ! He hasn't taken it 3" said the 
 woman, falling back a step or two in horror. 
 
 Effie nodded her head she had no words to speak. 
 She whipped up Jock, and drove quickly down the 
 avenue. 
 
 A kitchen maid was on her knees, whitening and 
 polishing the front steps. Effie jumped from the gig 
 and asked the girl to call some one to hold the horse. 
 
 "There ain't any men around just now; it is too 
 early," said the girl. 
 
 "Then take the reins yourself," said Effie. "Stand 
 just here; Jock won't stir if I tell him to be quiet. 
 Hold the reins, I am in a great hurry." 
 
 "You are Miss Effie Staunton, ain't you, miss ?" 
 
 "I am. My father is ill, and I want Miss Eraser." 
 
 "God help us ! the doctor ill !" exclaimed the girl. 
 
 She stood where Effie told her, holding Jock's
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 97 
 
 "Be quiet, Jock ; don't stir till I come out," said 
 Effie. The old horse drooped his head. Effie ran 
 up the steps and into the house. She had never been 
 at The Grange before, but she had no eyes for the 
 beauties of the old place this morning. There was 
 something too awful lying at the bottom of her heart 
 for any external things to affect her. She went 
 quickly up the broad front stairs and paused on the 
 first landing. How was she to discover the room 
 where Dorothy and little Freda Harvey spent their 
 time together? She was about to turn back in utter 
 bewilderment, when, to her relief, she saw another 
 servant. The servant stopped and stared at Effie. 
 Effie went up to her quickly. 
 
 "You may be surprised to see me here," she said. 
 "I am Miss Staunton Dr. Staunton's daughter. He 
 is ill. I want to see Nurse Eraser immediately. Take 
 me to her at once." 
 
 "We are none of us allowed near that part of the 
 house, miss," replied the woman. 
 
 "You can take me in the direction, anyhow, and 
 explain to me how I am to get to Miss Eraser," said 
 Effie. "Come! There's not an instant to lose be 
 quick !"
 
 98 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 "Oh, yes, I can take you in the direction," said 
 the girl. 
 
 She turned down a corridor; Effie followed her. 
 The servant walked rather slowly and in a dubious 
 sort of way. 
 
 "Can't you hurry?" said Effie. "It is a matter 
 of life and death !" 
 
 The girl hastened her steps a little. Effie's man- 
 ner frightened her. Presently they reached a baize 
 door. The servant pushed it open, but stood aside 
 herself. 
 
 "It is as much as my place is worth to open this 
 door," she said. "It is here the infectious case is, 
 and Miss Eraser's own orders are that the door is 
 not to be opened ; but you frighten me somehow, miss, 
 and I suppose there's no harm in it." 
 
 "No, of course there is no harm. Now tell me 
 which is Miss Eraser's room." 
 
 "The nurseries are entered by the third door as 
 you go down that passage, miss." 
 
 The servant banged to the baize door, and Effie 
 found herself alone. She ran down the passage and 
 opened the outer nursery door. It was quiet and 
 still, in perfect order, the blinds down, and the win-
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 99 
 
 dows open. Effie, in spite of all her agitation, walked 
 on tiptoe across this room. A door which led into 
 another room was half open, and she heard some one 
 moving about. That step, so quiet and self-possessed, 
 must belong to Dorothy. 
 
 "Dorothy ! Dorothy ! Come here !" called Erne. 
 
 Dorothy Fraser, in her dressing-gown, came out 
 to the other room at once. 
 
 "Effie 1" she exclaimed. "Effie Staunton !" 
 
 "Yes, it is I," said Effie; "it is I." She began to 
 unpin her hat as she spoke. "I have come here to 
 stay ; I am going to nurse little Freda, and you are 
 to go back to father. The gig is waiting outside, and 
 you can easily drive old Jock. Drive him straight 
 home, and go as fast as ever you can." 
 
 "Is youf father ill, Effie?" 
 
 "Yes ; he has taken the diphtheria. He is very ill. 
 Mother has sent me for you. If father dies, mother 
 will die. They love each other so dearly so very 
 dearly. One couldn't live without the other. Go, and 
 save them both, Dorothy, and I will stay with Freda/' 
 
 "You are a dear, brave little girl," said Dorothy. 
 
 She went and put her strong arms around Effie. 
 
 "I will go at once," she said. "But are you pre- 
 pared to take full charge here, Effie?"
 
 100 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 "Yes; tell me quickly what is to be done." 
 "There is nothing to be done now but simply to 
 g^e that Freda doesn't take cold. She is not free from, 
 infection yet, but she is quite out of danger, if she 
 does not catch a chill. Treat her as you would any 
 sick child. Rhoda is here. She is a capital girl, 
 and will help you with Freda's food. Freda may 
 come into this room for a little to-day, but you must 
 see that she keeps out of a draught. Good-by, Erne. 
 I won't be any time getting ready. I'll send you 
 telegrams about your father. God bless you. Erne 1"
 
 CHAPTER IX 
 
 FROM the first it was a bad case. The throat was 
 not so particularly affected, but the weakness was 
 extreme. All imaginable devices were resorted to to 
 keep up the patient's strength. Notwithstanding all 
 human precautions, however, that strength failed and 
 failed. 
 
 In a few days the strong man was like an infant. 
 He could not lift a finger, he could scarcely turn 
 his head, his voice was completely gone. His stricken 
 soul could only look dumbly into the world through 
 his eyes. Those honest eyes were pathetic. Dorothy 
 was unremitting in her attentions. She took com- 
 plete charge from the very first. Dr. Edwards came 
 and went, but he gave the nursing to Dorothy. She 
 had prepared herself for a great fight. She had 
 hoped to conquer; but on the third day of the doe- 
 tor's illness she knew that the battle was not to the 
 strong nor the race to the swift; in short, the good 
 101
 
 102 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 doctor was called to render up his account, his short 
 span of mortal life was over. 
 
 One evening he had lain perfectly still and in a 
 state of apparent stupor for several hours. Dorothy 
 stood at the foot of the bed. Her eyes were fixed on 
 the patient. 
 
 "It is strange how much I admire him," she said 
 to herself. "I never met a nobler, truer-hearted 
 man." 
 
 "Dorothy, come here," said the doctor. 
 
 She went at once and bent over him. 
 
 "I am going," he said, looking at her. 
 
 "Yes, Dr. Staunton," she answered. 
 
 He closed his eyes again for a moment. 
 
 "The wife," he murmured, "does she know?" 
 
 "I am not sure," said Dorothy in her quiet, clear 
 voice, which never for a moment sank to a whisper. 
 "I think she must guess I have not told her." 
 
 "She had better know," said the doctor. "Will 
 you bring her here ?" 
 
 "Ye^ ; I'll go and fetch her at once." 
 
 Dorothy left the room. She stood for a moment 
 on the landing. 
 
 The task which lay immediately before her made
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 103 
 
 her spirits sink. She knew, just as well as Dr. Staun- 
 ton did, how precarious was Mrs. Staunton's tenure 
 of life. She knew that a sudden shock might be 
 fatal. Were those children to lose both parents? 
 The doctor was going no mortal aid now could avail 
 for him but must the mother also leave the chil- 
 dren! 
 
 "I do not know what t6 do," thought Dorothy. 
 "She must see her husband they must meet. He is 
 the bravest man I know, but can he suppress his 
 own feelings now now that he is dying ? ~No I no ! 
 it is too much to ask ; but I greatly, greatly fear that 
 if he does not, the shock will kill her." 
 
 Dorothy went slowly downstairs. She was gen- 
 erally decisive in her actions. RTow she trembled, 
 and a terrible nervousness seized her. 
 
 When she reached the little entrance hall, and was 
 about to open the door of the parlor, where she ex- 
 pected to find Mrs. Staunton, she was surprised to 
 come face to face with a tall, bronzed young man, 
 who was taking off his hat and hanging it on one of 
 the pegs in the hatrack. He turned, and started when 
 he saw her. He was evidently unfamiliar with nurses 
 and sickness. His face flushed up, and he said in a 
 sort of apologetic way:
 
 104 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 "Surely, this is Dr. Staunton's house?" 
 
 "Yes," said Dorothy. 
 
 "I am George Staunton. I I came down on 
 pressing business I want to see my father in a hur- 
 ry. What is the matter ?" 
 
 He stepped back a pace or two, startled by the ex- 
 pression on Dorothy's face. 
 
 "Come in here at once," she said, seizing his hand. 
 She dragged him into the seldom used drawing-room. 
 The moment they got inside she deliberately locked 
 the door. 
 
 "You have come just in time," she said. "You 
 must bear up. I hope you'll be brave. Can you bear 
 a great shock without without fainting, or anything 
 of that sort?" 
 
 "Oh, I won't faint," he answered. His lips trem- 
 bled, his blue eyes grew wide open, the pupils began 
 to dilate. 
 
 "I believe you are a brave lad," said Dorothy, no- 
 ticing these signs. "It is your lot now to come face 
 to face with great trouble. Dr. Staunton your fa- 
 ther is dying !" 
 
 "Good God! Merciful God!" said the lad. He 
 sank down on the nearest chair he was white to the 
 lips.
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 105 
 
 Dorothy went up and took his hand. 
 
 "There! there!" she said. "You'll be better in 
 a moment. Try to forget yourself we have not, any 
 of us, a single instant just now to think of ourselves. 
 I have come down to fetch your mother." 
 
 "You are the nurse ?" said George, glancing at her 
 dress. 
 
 "Yes, I am nursing your father. It has been a 
 rery bad case diphtheria a very acute and hope- 
 less case from the first. There's a great deal of in- 
 fection. Are you afraid ?" 
 
 "]N T o! no! Don't talk of fear. I'll go to him. I 
 I was in trouble myself, but that must wait. I'll 
 go to him at once." 
 
 "I want you to go to your mother." 
 
 "My mother ! Is she ill, too ?" 
 
 "She is not exactly ill I mean she is not worse 
 than usual, but her life is bound up in your father's. 
 It would be a dreadful thing for your sisters and 
 yourself if your mother were to die. Your coming 
 here at this moment may mean her salvation. I have 
 to go to her now, to tell her that her dying husband 
 has sent for her. Will you follow me into the room ? 
 Will you act according to your own impulses? I
 
 106 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 am sure God will direct you. Stay where you are 
 for a minute try to be brave. Follow me into the 
 room as soon as you can." 
 
 Dorothy left the drawing-room. As she went away 
 she heard the young man groan. She did not give 
 herself time to think. She opened the parlor door. 
 
 Mrs. Staunton was sitting in her favorite seat by 
 the window. Her face was scarcely at all paler than 
 it had been a week ago. She sat then by the win- 
 dow, looking out at her trouble, which showed like 
 a speck in the blue sky. The shadow which envel- 
 oped her whole life was coming closer now, envel- 
 oping her like a thick fog. Still she was bearing up. 
 Her eyes were gazing out on the garden on the 
 flowers which she and the doctor had tended and 
 loved together. Some of the younger children had 
 clustered around her knee one of them held her 
 hand another played with a bunch of keys and trin- 
 kets which she always wore at her side. 
 
 "Go on, mother," said little Marjory, aged seven. 
 "Don't stop." 
 
 "I have nearly finished," said Mrs. Staunton. 
 
 "But not quite. Go on, mother; I want to hear 
 the end of the story," said Phil.
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 107 
 
 Mrs. Staunton did not see Dorothy, who stood mo- 
 tionless near the door. 
 
 "They got so tired," she began in a monotonous 
 sort of voice, "so dreadfully tired, that there was 
 nothing for them to do but to try and get into the 
 White Garden." 
 
 ''A White Garden!" repeated Phil. "Was it pret- 
 ty?" 
 
 "Lovely!" 
 
 "Why was it called a White Garden ?" asked Mar- 
 jory. 
 
 "Because of the flowers. They were all white 
 white roses, white lilies, snowdrops, chrysanthemums 
 all the flowers that are pure white, without any 
 color. The air is sweet with their perfume the peo- 
 ple who come to live in the White Garden wear white 
 flowers on their white dresses it is a beautiful 
 sight." 
 
 "It must be," said Marjory, who had a great deal 
 of imagination. "Are the people happy ?" 
 
 "Perfectly happy rested, you know, Marjory. 
 They are peaceful as you are when you are tucked 
 up in your little bed." 
 
 "I like best to play and romp," said Marjory in
 
 108 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 a meditative voice; "but then, you see, I am never 
 tired." 
 
 "Dorothy is standing at the door !" exclaimed Phil. 
 "Come in, Dorothy, and listen to mother's beautiful 
 story." 
 
 "Do you want me ?" asked Mrs. Staunton, stand- 
 ing up. She began to tremble. The children looked 
 at her anxiously. 
 
 Dorothy went straight up to her and took her 
 hand. "Dr. Staunton wishes to see you," she said. 
 "Will you come with me?" She looked anxiously 
 toward the door. 
 
 Mrs. Staunton put up her hand to her head. "Good- 
 by, my darlings," she said, looking at the little pair, 
 who "were gazing up at her with puzzled faces. "Go 
 and play in the garden, and don't forget the White 
 Garden about which we have been speaking." She 
 stooped down and deliberately kissed both children, 
 then she held out her hand to Dorothy. "I am quite 
 ready," she said. 
 
 At that moment George entered the room. He 
 put his arms around his mother. He was a big fel- 
 low his arms were strong. The muscles in his neck 
 seemed to start out, his eyes looked straight into his 
 mother's.
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 109 
 
 "You have got me, mother; I am George," he 
 said. "Come ; let us go to my father together." 
 
 Mrs. Staunton tottered upstairs. She was not in 
 the least surprised at seeing George, and she leaned 
 very firmly on kim. They went into the sickroom, 
 and when George knelt down by his father's bedside 
 Mrs. Staunton knelt by him. 
 
 The doctor was going deeper and deeper into the 
 valley from which there is no return. Earthly sounds 
 were growing dim to his ears earthly voices were 
 losing their meaning earthly sights were fading be- 
 fore his failing eyes. The dew of death was on his 
 forehead. 
 
 Mrs. Staunton, whose face was nearly as white, 
 bent down lower and lower until her lips touched 
 his hand. The touch of her lips made him open 
 his eyes. He saw his wife; the look on her face 
 seemed to bring him back to earth again it was like 
 a sort of return wave, landing him high on the shores 
 of time. 
 
 His impulse was to say, "Come with me let us 
 enter into the rest of the Lord together"; but then 
 he saw George. George had thrown his arm around 
 his mother's waist.
 
 110 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 "Let me keep her, father," said the young man. 
 "Don't take her yet ; let me keep her." 
 
 "Yes, stay with the lad, Mary," said the doctor. 
 
 It was the final act of renunciation. His eyelids 
 drooped over his dying eyes he never spoke again.
 
 CHAPTER X 
 
 GEORGE stayed at Whittington for a week ; he fol- 
 lowed his father to the grave. Mrs. Staunton clung 
 to him with a sort of feverish tenacity; whenever 
 he came into the room her eyes followed him. A 
 sort of wistful, contented expression came into them 
 when he sat down beside her. During all the time 
 George was in the house she never broke down. At 
 last, however, the time came when he must leave 
 her. 
 
 "I must go back to my work," he said ; "but you 
 are coming to London soon ; then I'll be with you 
 every evening. You know my father has given you 
 to me to care for. It will be all right when we are 
 in London together." 
 
 "Yes, my boy," she replied, "it will be all right 
 
 then. I don't complain," she added ; "I don't attempt 
 
 to murmur. I shall go to him, but he cannot return 
 
 to me; and I have got you, George, and he gave me 
 
 111
 
 112 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 to you. I am willing to stay with you just as long 
 as you want me." 
 
 It was late that night when George left his moth- 
 er's room. Erne was standing in the passage. The 
 brother and sister looked at each other. Erne had 
 come home the day after Dr. Staunton's death. 
 
 "Come out with me for a bit, Erne," said her 
 brother. They went into the garden, and she linked 
 her hand through his arm. 
 
 Dorothy Eraser had now returned to her duties 
 in London; the Stauntons were to go up to ixrwn 
 as soon as ever the cottage could be sold. It had be- 
 longed to the doctor. George was to live with them 
 when they were in town, and perhaps Effie would be 
 able to follow the great wish of her mind. There 
 was just a possibility that she might be able to be 
 trained as a hospital nurse. She looked up at George 
 now. 
 
 "You have been such a comfort to us," she said. 
 "Dorothy told me everything; and I know that if 
 you had not come just at the opportune moment we 
 ahould have lost our mother as well as our father. 
 I'll do all in my power to hurry matters, so that we 
 can come to London before the winter."
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 113 
 
 "Yes," said George. He was a finely-built young 
 fellow, with a handsome face. He was not the least 
 like Effie, who was dark and rather small, like her 
 mother. George had the doctor's physique; he had 
 great square shoulders, his eyes were frank and blue, 
 like his father's, but his mouth wanted his father's 
 firmness. 
 
 "Effie," he said, "I don't know how I am to bring 
 myself to confide in you." 
 
 "Confide in me ?" she said with a little start. "We 
 always did tell our secrets to one another, but all 
 this terrible trouble seems to have put childish things 
 away. Have you really a secret, George, to tell me ?" 
 
 "I don't know how I can tell it to you," he re- 
 plied. His lips quivered; he looked down. Effie 
 clasped his arm affectionately. 
 
 "You know I would do anything for you," she 
 said. 
 
 "Yes ; I know you are the best of girls, and you're 
 awfully pretty, too. I know Fred Lawson will think 
 so when he sees you." 
 
 "Who is he?" 
 
 "A friend of mine a right good fellow he is a 
 medical student at St. Joseph's Hospital. I have
 
 114 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 often met him, and he has talked to me about his 
 own sisters, and one day I showed him your photo- 
 graph, and he said what a pretty girl you were. 
 Somehow, Effie, I never thought of you as pretty 
 until Fred said so. I suppose fellows don't think 
 iow their sisters look, although they love them very 
 dearly; but when Fred said it it opened my eyes. 
 Dear! dear! why am I talking like this, when time 
 is so precious, and I Effie, when I came down that 
 day to see my father I was in trouble great trouble. 
 The shock of seeing him seemed to banish it from 
 my mind, but it cannot be banished it cannot be 
 banished, Effie, and I have no one to confide in now 
 but you." 
 
 "You must tell me, of course," said Effie. She 
 felt hersedf turning pale. She could not imagine 
 what George's trouble was. The night was dusk; 
 she raised her eyes to her brother's face. He avoided 
 meeting them. He had a stick in his hand, and he 
 began to poke holes in the gravel. 
 
 "How much money have we got to live on?" he 
 asked abruptly. 
 
 "How much money have we to live on ?" repeated 
 JEffie, "I believe, when all is collected, that there
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 115 
 
 will be something like a hundred a year for mother 
 and Agnes and Katie and the two little children. 
 Of course, I am going to support myself, somehow, 
 and you are, naturally, off our hands." 
 
 "It's awful," said George; "it's awful to be so 
 starvingly poor as that ! Why, I get a hundred a 
 year now ; fancy five people living on a sum on whick 
 I never can make both ends meet!" 
 
 "What is the matter with you, George? How 
 queerly you speak ! You knew we should be awfully 
 poor when father died. You are going to pay for 
 your board, are you not, when you come to us ? and 
 that will be a great help." 
 
 "Yes, of course. I vow and declare that I'll give 
 mother at least half of what I earn." 
 
 "Well, that will be fifty pounds a great help. 
 My idea for myself is but " Effie stopped ab- 
 ruptly. She saw that George was making an impa- 
 tient movement. "I'll tell you another time," she 
 said in a gentle voice. "You have something now 
 to tell me, have you not ?" 
 
 "I have God knows I have ! I want to get two 
 hundred and fifty pounds somewhere!" 
 
 "Two hundred and fifty pounds !" exclaimed Effie.
 
 116 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 George might just as well have asked her for the 
 moon. 
 
 "I don't understand," she said after a pause. 
 
 "No, and I never want you to, Effie," replied the 
 young man. "I can't tell you what I want the money 
 for, but it's a matter of life and death. I thought I 
 had made up my mind" a husky sound came into 
 his throat "I made up my mind to tell everything to 
 my father when I came down that night I could 
 have told him. It was not a sort of thing to talk 
 to you about, but I thought I could tell him ; he died, 
 and he gave me mother. He left mother with me. 
 You know perfectly well, Effie, that our mother's 
 life hangs on a thread. You know she must not have 
 a shock, and yet Effie! Effie! if I don't get that 
 two hundred and fifty pounds she will have such a 
 shock, such a terrible shock, that it will send her to 
 her grave!" 
 
 "I must think," said Effie. "I cannot answer you 
 in a moment." 
 
 "Is there no earthly way you can help me? I 
 must be helped !" said George in a frantic voice. "I 
 have got six weeks longer I must get that two hun- 
 dred and fifty pounds in six weeks, or no, I can't 
 tell you!"
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 117 
 
 "Yes, you must try I won't help you unless you 
 try." 
 
 "Well, then here goes ! If I don't get it I shall 
 hive to go to prison!" George's voie sank to a 
 hoarse whisper. 
 
 Effie could not suppress a cry.
 
 CHAPTER XI 
 
 "THEN you have done something wrong!" said 
 Effie, loosening her hold of her brother's arm and 
 backing to a little distance. He could scarcely see 
 her face in the ever-increasing darkness, but he no- 
 ticed the change in her voice. There was an indig- 
 nant note of pained and astonished youth in it. Effie 
 had never come face to face with the graver sins of 
 life ; the word "prison" stunned her ; she forgot pity 
 for a moment in indignation. 
 
 "George," she said with a sort of gasp, "father 
 left mother to you in a sort of way he gave her up 
 to you and you have done wrong you have 
 sinned !" 
 
 "You talk just like a girl," said George. "You 
 jump at conclusions. You, an innocent girl, living 
 in the shelter of home, know as little about the temp- 
 tations which we young fellows have to meet out in 
 the world as you know of the heavens above you. 
 118
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 119 
 
 My God ! Effie, it is a hard world it is hard, hard 
 to keep straight in it. Yes, I have done wrong I 
 know it and father gave mother to me. If you turn 
 away from me, Effie, I shall go to the bad I shall 
 go to the worst of all ; there will not be a chance for 
 me if you turn from me !" 
 
 The tone of despair in his voice changed Effie's 
 frame of mind in a moment. She ran up to him 
 and put her arms around his neck. 
 
 "I won't turn from you, poor George," she said. 
 "It did shock me for a moment it frightened me 
 rather more than I can express; but perhaps I did 
 not hear you aright, perhaps you did not say the word 
 'prison.' You don't mean to say that unless you get 
 that impossible sum of money you will have to go to 
 prison, George ?" 
 
 "Before God it is true!" said George. "I cannot, 
 I won't tell you why, but it is as true as I stand 
 here!" 
 
 "Then you will kill our mother !" said Effie. 
 
 "I know that." 
 
 "And father left her to you! George, it cannot 
 be! I must think of something my head is giddy 
 we have not any money to spare. It will be the
 
 120 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 hardest fight in the world to keep the children from 
 starvation on that hundred pounds a year, but some- 
 thing must be done. I'll go and speak to the trus- 
 tees." 
 
 "Who are, the trustees ?" asked George. He rose 
 again to his feet. There was a dull sort of patience 
 in his words. 
 
 "Mr. Watson is one you know the Watsons 
 father has always been so good to them and our 
 clergyman, Mr. Jellet, is the other. Yes, I must go 
 and speak to them ; but what am I to say 1" 
 
 "You must not betray me," said George. "If you 
 mention that I want the money, all will be up with 
 me. In any case, there may be suspicion. Men of 
 the world like Mr. Watson and Mr. Jellet would im- 
 mediately guess there was something wrong if a lad 
 required such a large sum of money. Yon must not 
 tell them that / want it." 
 
 "How can I help it ? Oh, everything is swimming 
 around before my eyes ! I feel as if my head would 
 burst." 
 
 "Think of me," said George; "think of the load 
 I have got to bear." 
 
 Erne glanced up at him. His attitude and his
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 121 
 
 words puzzled and almost revolted her. After a time 
 she said coldly : 
 
 "What hour are you leaving in the morning ?" 
 
 "I want to catch the six o'clock train to town. 
 This is good-by, Effie; I shan't see you before I go. 
 Remember, there are six weeks before anything can 
 happen. If any one can save me, you can. It is 
 worth a sacrifice to keep our mother from dying." 
 
 "Yes, it would kill her," said Effie. "Good-night, 
 now, George. I cannot think, nor counsel you, at 
 present; I feel too stunned. The blow you have 
 given me has come so unexpectedly, and it it is so 
 awful ! But I'll get up to see you off in the morn- 
 ing. Soike thought may occur to me during the 
 night." 
 
 "Very well," said George. He walked slowly down 
 the garden, and entering the house, went up to his 
 own room. Effie did not go in for a long time. She 
 was alone now, all alone with the stars. She was 
 standing in the middle of the path. Often and often 
 her father's steps had trodden this path. He used to 
 pace here when he was troubled about a sick patient, 
 when his anxiety about her mother arose to a fever- 
 ish pitch. Now his daughter stood on the same spot,
 
 122 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 while a whirl of troubled thoughts passed through 
 her brain. It had been her one comfort, since that 
 awful moment when Dorothy had told her that her 
 father was gone, to feel that George, in a measure, 
 at least, took that father's place. 
 
 George had always been her favorite brother ; they 
 were very nearly the same age Erne was only two 
 years younger than George ; long ago George had been 
 good to the little sister they had never quarreled, 
 they had grown up always the best and warmest of 
 friends. Their love had been true as true as any- 
 thing in all the world. 
 
 George had gone to London, and the first tiny 
 spark of discontent had visited Erne's heart. She 
 would be so lonely without her brother. It was so 
 fine for him to go out into life; her own horizon 
 seemed so narrow. Then Dorothy came, and they 
 had made friends, and Dorothy told her what some 
 women did with their lives. 
 
 Erne had been fired with a sudden desire to follow 
 in Dorothy's steps ; then had followed the dark cloud 
 which seemed to swallow up her wishes, and all that 
 was best out of her life. George, at least, remained 
 dear, brave, manly George ! The brother who had 
 passed out of childhood and entered man's estate.
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 123 
 
 Her father's last message had been to George 
 he had given her precious mother into George's care. 
 
 It seemed to Erne to-night, standing out under 
 the stars, as if George, too, were dead. The old 
 George was really dead, and a stranger had taken his 
 place. This stranger wore the outward guise of her 
 brother he had his eyes, his figure; his voice had 
 the same tone; he could look at you just in George's 
 way, but he could utter terrible words which George 
 had never known anything about. He could talk of 
 sin and prison. He could propose that Effie should 
 rescue him at the risk of her mother's livelihood. Oh, 
 what did it mean ? How was she to bear it ? How 
 could she bear it? She clasped her hands, tears 
 filled her eyes, but she was too oppressed, too pained, 
 too stunned, to weep long. Presently she went into 
 the house, and lay down on her bed without undress- 
 ing. 
 
 During the whole of that terrible night Effie scarce- 
 ly slept. It was the worst night in all her life. To- 
 ward morning she dozed a little, but sprang up with 
 a start, fearing that George had gone to London with- 
 out seeing her. For her mother's sake she must see 
 him. Whatever happened, her mother must never
 
 124 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 know of this calamity. Effie got up, washed her 
 hands and face, smoothed out her hair, and went 
 downstairs. George was already up; he wns stand- 
 ing in the little parlor. He turned around when he 
 heard his sister's footsteps and looked anxiously at 
 her. 
 
 "What a brute I am!" he said when he saw the 
 expression on her face ; "but I swear before God, 
 Effie, if you will help me, I'll turn over a new leaf 
 I'll never do a wrong thing again as long as I live! 
 I swear it!" 
 
 "Don't swear it," said Effie; "it seems to make 
 it worse to do that. If you did wrong once, you may 
 again. Don't swear. Ask God to help you. I don't 
 know that I have been praying all night, but I have 
 been trying to." 
 
 "Well, Effie, what have you determined to do?" 
 he asked. 
 
 "Is there no one else who can help you, George?" 
 
 "Not a soul. I have only one friend, and that is 
 Fred Lawson." 
 
 "Oh, yes! I remember you spoke of him last 
 night. Would he help you ?" 
 
 "He help me!" said George with a hysterical
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 125 
 
 laugh. "Why, he is the chap I have wronged ! There, 
 don't ask me any more. If you can help me, I am 
 saved ; if you can't, say so, and I'll go straight to 
 destruction." 
 
 "No, you shan't do that, George. I have thought 
 of something nothing may come of it, but I'm go- 
 ing to try. It is terribly repugnant to me, but I 
 would sacrifice much to save my mother. If it fails, 
 all fails." 
 
 "I have thought," said George eagerly, "that as 
 the case is such an extreme one, we might take some 
 of the capital. There is a thousand pounds ; a quar- 
 ter of that sum would put me right." 
 
 "It cannot be done for a moment," said Effie, her 
 face flushing hotly. "That money must under no 
 circumstances be touched ; my mother and the ehil" 
 dren depend on it for their bread." 
 
 "I don't know what is to be done, then," said 
 George in a hopeless voice. 
 
 "You must trust to me, George ; I am going to try 
 to help you in my own way. If I fail, I fail ; but 
 somehow I don't think I shall. If I have any news 
 I will write to you soon ; and now good-by good-by." 
 
 George turned and kissed Effie. She gave him
 
 126 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 her cheek, but her lips did not touch his. She was 
 willing to help him, but her love, for the time, was 
 dead, or dying. 
 
 The young man walked hurriedly down the village 
 
 street. Effie stood in the porch and ,. ^hed him. 
 
 His shoulders were bowed, he stooped. George used 
 
 to have a fine figure ; Effie used to be proud of him. 
 
 She was not proud of her brother now. 
 
 She went back to the house and sat down, listlessly 
 for a time, in the little parlor ; her hands were folded 
 in her lap. It seemed to her as if the end of all 
 things had come. 
 
 Presently the sound of the children's voices over- 
 head aroused her. She went upstairs and helped 
 Susan to dress them. Returning to the every-day 
 duties of life had a soothing effect upon her. She 
 made a violent effort and managed to put her trouble 
 behind her for the time being. Whatever happened, 
 her mother must not see any traces of it. 
 
 When the baby was dressed she took him, as usual, 
 to her mother's room. 
 
 Mrs. Staunton sat up in bed and stretched out her 
 arms to receive him. Effie gave him to her mother, 
 who began to kiss his little face hungrily.
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 127 
 
 "Has George gone, Effie?" said the mother. 
 
 "Yes, mother, dear." 
 
 "Did any one see him off ? Did he have his break- 
 fast?" 
 
 "Yes, ^ Bw l -}d a good breakfast ; I got it ready for 
 him last night." 
 
 "But did any one see him off ?" 
 
 "I did." 
 
 "That's right ; I should not have liked him to have 
 had his last meal by himself. I miss him awfully. 
 Effie, dear, how soon do you think we can go to Lon- 
 don?" 
 
 "As soon as possible, mother in about six weeks." 
 
 "Six weeks !" exclaimed Mrs. Staunton. "I can't 
 live without George for six weeks !" 
 
 "Oh, yes, you can, mother at least you'll try."
 
 CHAPTER XH 
 
 WHEW Effie had finished the many small duties 
 which fell to her share in the household economy, she 
 went up to her bedroom and hastily changed her 
 every-day dress for her best one. She did not take 
 long about this task. Her small face looked very 
 pale and thin under the heavy crepe on her hat. Tak- 
 ing up her gloves, she ran down to the parlor, where 
 her mother was sitting. Mrs. Staunton was busily 
 mending some stockings for George. A pile of his 
 clothes lay on the table by her side. 
 
 "I thought we might send these to London next 
 week," she said, looking up as her daughter entered 
 the room. "George will want a really warm great- 
 coat for the winter, and this one of your father's 
 
 Why, Effie, my dear " She stopped abruptly and 
 
 gazed up at Effie's best hat. "Where are you going, 
 my love ?" she said. "I thought you could help me 
 this morning." 
 
 128
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 129 
 
 "I am going out, mother, for a little." 
 "But where to ? Why have you your best things 
 on?" 
 
 "I am going to the Harveys'." 
 "To the Harveys' ? to The Grange ?" 
 Mrs. Staunton shuddered slightly ; she turned her 
 head aside. "Why are you going there ?" she asked 
 after a pause. 
 
 "I want to see them I won't be long away. Please, 
 mother, don't tire yourself over all that mending 
 now." 
 
 "It interests me, my dear. I find it impossible 
 to sit with my hands before me. I am stronger than 
 I used to be. I have got to live for George; and 
 George is young, he is entering life ; he must not be 
 saddled with an old, ailing mother. I must get 
 strong, I must get back my youth for his sake. Don't 
 be long away, Effie, dear. I wonder you like to go 
 to the Harveys' under the circumstances, but you 
 know best. Children are very independent nowa- 
 days," concluded Mrs. Staunton with a sigh. 
 
 Effie went up to her mother and kissed her, then 
 she softly left the room. 
 
 The day was a particularly fine one, the sun shone
 
 130 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 brightly upon the little High Street. Effie walked 
 quickly ; she soon turned into a shady lane ; the lane 
 led her into the high road. By and by she stopped at 
 the gates of The Grange. 
 
 The woman of the lodge came out when she saw 
 her. This woman had been fond of Dr. Staunton, 
 and she recognized Effie. 
 
 Erne's little figure, her heavy black dress, her 
 crepe hat, her white cheeks and dark eyes, all ap- 
 pealed with great pathos to the woman. She ran 
 toward her with outstretched hands. 
 
 "Miss Effie, my dear, you're welcome," she said. 
 She caught Effie's little white hands in her hard, 
 toil-worn ones. "You are welcome, Miss Effie/' she 
 repeated. "It is good of you to come. Eh, dear, 
 but it goes to the heart to see you in that deep black ! 
 Come in and rest, my dear young lady come in and 
 rest." 
 
 "I cannot just now, Mrs. Jones," replied Effie. "I 
 am in a hurry I want to go up to see the squire on 
 business." 
 
 "And how is your mother, poor lady ? How is she 
 bearing up, my dear ?" 
 
 "Wonderfully," said Effie. "I'll come and see you 
 another day, Mrs. Jones."
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 131 
 
 "Eh, do ! You'll be more than welcome. I long 
 to hear all about the doctor, poor man ! and how he 
 went off at the end. The last words of the pious 
 are always worth listening to. I'll be glad to hear 
 particulars, if you can give me half an hour some 
 time, Miss Effie." 
 
 "Some time," said Effie. 
 
 She walked on, trembling a little. The woman's 
 words and her eager look of curiosity were dreadful 
 to her ; nevertheless, she knew that her father, under 
 similar circumstances, would have been very patient 
 with this woman. 
 
 By and by she arrived at the heavy front door 
 of the old Grange. She walked up the steps and 
 rang the bell. 
 
 The door was opened almost immediately by a 
 servant in livery. He knew Effie, and asked her 
 in. 
 
 "Is the squire at home ?" she asked. 
 
 "I'm not sure, miss, but I'll inquire. Will you 
 step in here while I go to ask ?" 
 
 The man opened the door of a little sitting-room. 
 Effie went in, and he closed it softly behind him. 
 
 After what seemed a very short time she heard
 
 132 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 eager steps coming along the hall the room door was 
 flung open, and Squire Harvey, accompanied by his 
 wife, came in. 
 
 Mrs. Harvey looked like a shadow, but her sweet 
 face had a tender blush-rose color about it, her eyes 
 had the intensely clear look which long illness gives ; 
 she was better, but she looked so frail and delicate 
 that Effie's heart went out to her. 
 
 "My dear child/' said Mrs. Harvey, "how good, 
 how very good of you to come ! I am only just down- 
 stairs. Dr. Edwards only allowed me down yester- 
 day, but I could not resist coming to welcome you 
 myself. Won't you come into my sitting-room? It 
 is just at the opposite side of the hall. I'll send 
 Rhoda upstairs to fetch little Freda, She will be so 
 enraptured at seeing you. Come, my dear. Now 
 that we have got you, we won't let you go in a hurry. 
 I think it so sweet of you to come to see us, and un- 
 der the circumstances. Don't you think it is sweet 
 of her, Walter, dear?" 
 
 Squire Harvey had more perception of character 
 than his wife. He noticed how white Effie's face 
 grew ; he noticed the pathetic trembling of her hands. 
 
 "My dear," he said, "perhaps Miss Staunton wishes
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 133 
 
 to see me by herself. I understood from the servant 
 that she had asked for me." 
 
 "Yes, I did want to see you very much," said 
 Effie. 
 
 "Of course, dear little thing," interrupted Mrs. 
 Harvey ; "but I'll stay while you talk to her. I am 
 immensely interested in you, Miss Staunton. I can 
 never forget, as long as I live, what you and yours 
 have done for us." 
 
 "Please don't talk of it now," said Effie. "I mean 
 I know how kindly you feel, and indeed I am not 
 ungrateful, but I cannot bear to talk it over, and 
 I want very badly, please, to say something to the 
 squire." 
 
 "Come with me to my study, Miss Staunton," said 
 the squire. 
 
 He opened the door, and Effie followed him. 
 
 "Be sure you make her stay, Walter, when your 
 businees is over !" called Mrs. Harvey after him. "I'll 
 send for Freda to my boudoir. Miss Staunton must 
 stay to lunch. It is delightful to see her again, and 
 it is so sweet of her to come to see us." 
 
 The thin, high voice kept calling these words out 
 a little louder and a little louder as Effie followed
 
 134. A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 the squire down one long corridor after another, un- 
 til at last they entered his special study. 
 
 He shut the door at once, and offered her a chair. 
 
 "If I can do anything for you, you have but to 
 command me," he said. 
 
 "I see you are in great trouble," he continued. 
 "Pray take your own time. I have nothing what- 
 ever to do I can listen to you as long as ever you 
 like." 
 
 Poor Effie found great difficulty in using her 
 voice. For one dreadful moment words seemed to 
 fail her altogether. Then she gave a swift thought 
 to her mother, to George, and her resolve was taken. 
 
 "I want to make a very queer request of you, Mr. 
 Harvey," she said. "It may not be possible for you 
 to grant it. For my father's sake, will you promise 
 that you will never tell any one what I am now asking 
 you, if you don't find it convenient to grant it to 
 me?" 
 
 "I'll keep your secret, of course," said the squire. 
 "But permit me to say one thing before you begin 
 to tell it to me: there's not the slightest fear of my 
 not granting it. There is nothing that you can pos- 
 sibly ask of me, that, under the circumstances, I
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 135 
 
 should think it right to refuse. Now, pray pro- 
 ceed." 
 
 "I want you," said Effie she gulped down a great 
 lump in her throat, and proceeded in a sort of des- 
 peration "I want you to lend me two hundred and 
 fifty pounds. I'll pay you interest I think five per 
 cent, is fair interest I'll pay you interest on the 
 money, and return it to you by installments." 
 
 There was not the least doubt that Effie's request 
 startled the squire. The amount of the money re- 
 quired was nothing to him, for he was a very rich 
 man ; but the girl's manner, her evident distress, the 
 look of shame and misery on her face, surprised him. 
 He guessed that she was borrowing the money for 
 another, but for whom ? 
 
 "I can see you are in trouble," he said in his kind- 
 est tone. "Why don't you confide in me ? As to 
 the money, make your mind easy; you shall have 
 it ; but girls like you don't, as a rule, borrow a large 
 sum of money of this kind. Do you want it for your- 
 self?" 
 
 "No." 
 
 "You won't tell me who it is for ?" 
 
 "I cannot, Mr. Harvey. Please don't ask me."
 
 136 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 "I won't ask you anything that distresses you. As 
 you are talking of money, you will forgive me for 
 saying that I am told that your mother is left badly 
 off." 
 
 "No; that's a mistake," said Effie. "She has 
 money. My father left her very well off for a man 
 in his position. He insured his life for a thousand 
 pounds, and my mother had a little fortune of her 
 own, which brings in about sixty pounds a year." 
 
 "And you think your mother well off with that ?" 
 said the squire in a tone of almost amused pity. 
 
 "Yes, for a woman in her position," said Effie in 
 almost a proud tone. "Forgive me," she said; "I 
 know that, after the request I have just made, you 
 would be justified in asking me any questions, but 
 I would rather not say any more about my mother. 
 If you'll lend me the money if, indeed, you will 
 be so good, so noble when can I have it ?" 
 
 "When do you want it ?" 
 
 "I must have it before six weeks are up, but the 
 sooner the better." 
 
 "You shall have it in a week. Come here this 
 day week and I'll give you a check for the amount." 
 
 "A check!" said Effie; "but I would have to pass
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 137 
 
 that through mother's bank and and she might 
 know." 
 
 "Are you really asking for this money without your 
 mother's knowledge, Miss Staunton?" 
 
 "Yes; my mother is not to know. Mr. Harvey, 
 the object of our lives is to keep all anxiety from 
 our mother she must never know." 
 
 "Forgive me," said the squire after a pause. "I 
 know a great deal about business, and you very lit- 
 tle. Would it not be best to open an account in 
 your own name? I am told that you propose soon 
 to go to London. I would introduce you to my 
 bankers there, who would be very glad to open an 
 account with you; and if at any time you should 
 have need of assistance, Miss Staunton, you would 
 give me the privilege of helping you. Remember, 
 but for me and mine you would not now be father- 
 less. You must see that you have a claim on me. 
 Allow me to fulfil that claim in the only possible 
 way in my power." 
 
 "You are good, you are more than good," said 
 Erne, rising. "But this is all I really need. I'll pay 
 you the interest on the money every half-year." 
 
 "Oh, that doesn't matter. I earnestly wish you 
 would take it as a gift."
 
 138 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 "Thank you; but that is impossible." 
 
 Effie stood up ; she had nothing further to say. 
 
 "May I take you to my wife's room now?" said 
 the squire. "I know she is waiting to see you ; she 
 is longing to be friends with you. Her recovery 
 has been wonderful, and as to little Freda she is 
 almost herself again. You would like to see Freda, 
 would you not ?" 
 
 "Yes," said Effie, "but not to-day I must hurry 
 back to my mother. I don't know how to thank you, 
 Mr. Harvey. Will you please tell your your wife 
 that I cannot stay to-day? my mother wants me. 
 Thank you thank you." 
 
 The squire himself showed Effie out. He stood 
 for a moment by his open hall door and watched 
 her as she walked slowly down the avenue. 
 
 "That is a plucky little thing," he said to himself. 
 "Now, what in the world does she want that money 
 for? Not for herself, I'll be bound. I do hope she 
 has got no disreputable relations hanging on to her. 
 Well, at least it is my bounden duty to help her, but 
 I wish she would confide in me. She is a pretty girl, 
 too, and has a look of the doctor about her eyes." 
 
 "Where is Miss Staunton?" asked Mrs. Harvey, 
 coming forward.
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 139 
 
 "Vanishing around that corner, my love," returned 
 the squire. "The fact is, the poor little thing is com- 
 pletely upset, and cannot face any one." 
 
 "But her business, Walter what did she want ?" 
 
 "Ah, that's the secret. She made me swear not 
 to tell any one. It is my opinion, Elfreda, that the 
 child has got into trouble. We must do what we can 
 for her." 
 
 "I wish she would come here and be Freda's gov- 
 erness," said Mrs. Harvey. 
 
 The squire looked at his wife. 
 
 "That's a good thought," he remarked; "and we 
 might give her a big salary she is so innocent she 
 would not really know anything about it. We might 
 give her two hundred a year, and then she could help 
 her mother; but I doubt whether she would leave 
 her mother she seems simply bound up in her." 
 
 "It is our duty to help her," said Mrs. Harvey, 
 "whatever happens. If she won't come to us, we 
 must think of some other way." 
 
 "Yes, we must/' said the squire.
 
 CHAPTER XIII 
 
 IN less than six weeks the Stauntons were settled 
 in London. George had taken lodgings for them 
 in a cheap part of Bayswater. The rooms were high 
 up in a dismal sort of house. There were a sitting- 
 room and three small bedrooms. George occupied 
 one, EfMe and the girls another, Mrs. Staunton, the 
 baby and little Phil the third. It seemed to Effie 
 as if they had always lived in this uninteresting 
 house, looking out on that narrow, dismal street. 
 They knew nobody. Their lives were very dull. Mrs. 
 Staunton occupied herself over George, morning, noon 
 and night. She mended his clothes with scrupulous 
 care ; she washed his shirts herself, and took immense 
 pride in bringing the fronts up to a wonderful pol- 
 ish. There was not a young man in the city who 
 went to his daily work with such snowy collars as 
 George, such neat cuffs, such a look of general finish. 
 This work delighted Mrs. Staunton it brought 
 140
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 141 
 
 smiles to her eyes and a look of satisfaction to her 
 face. 
 
 Effie had got the money from Mr. Harvey, and 
 had handed it, without a word, to George. 
 
 He took it; his face flushed all over; tears filled 
 his eyes. 
 
 He said, "God bless you, Effie ! You are the bra- 
 vest, best sister a man ever had !" And then he went 
 out of the room and out of the house. 
 
 "He never asked me where I got it," thought poor 
 Effie; "and now there's the interest to pay, and how 
 can it possibly be taken out of our hundred a year? 
 Mother must neve-r, never know; but how is that in- 
 terest to be paid ?" 
 
 The Stauntons had been settled about a fortnight 
 in their new home when Dorothy came to pay them 
 a visit. 
 
 She was very busy in her hospital life. She came 
 in with her accustomed eager, purposeful walk. She 
 sat down on the nearest chair and began to talk cheer- 
 fully to the children and sympathetically to Mrs. 
 Staunton. 
 
 AP soon as she had an opportunity, however, she 
 drew Effie aside.
 
 142 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 "!N"ow, my dear," she said, looking straight into 
 Effie's brown eyes, "when are you coming to us ?" 
 
 "Oh, if I could come," exclaimed Effie, "I should 
 indeed be happy! But I don't see any chance of 
 it." 
 
 "I do. You are not really wanted here; Agnes 
 is growing a big girl. Your mother is devoted to 
 your brother George; provided he comes home every 
 evening, she scarcely gives a thought to any one else. 
 You can be spared, Effie, and it will be good for 
 you. You do not look a bit the same girl. You have 
 lost your 'go,' somehow. You are very young. It 
 is wrong to have a look like that when one is only 
 twenty. You ought to come to the hospital, and 
 there is a vacancy now for a probationer, if you can 
 take it." 
 
 "If I dare to," said Effie ; "but it does not seem 
 right." 
 
 "Yes, I believe it is right. I know the matron 
 of St. Joseph's Hospital so well that I think I can 
 arrange with her that you should spend a part of 
 every Sunday at home at least, while you are train- 
 ing Agnes. The fact is, Effie, you are a born nurse, 
 and it is a sin to lose you to the profession."
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 143 
 
 *'I should like to come, beyond anything," said 
 Effie. "It is the very highest wish of my heart. The 
 last night that I ever saw my dear father he spoke 
 to ine on this subject. He used to hate lady nurses, 
 but you won him over, Dorothy, and he said if the 
 time came, I could go, with his blessing." 
 
 "Then surely that settles the matter," exclaimed 
 Dorothy. "I'll speak to Mrs. Staunton before I leave 
 to-day." 
 
 "Oh, no ! don't ! Mother seems quite happy and 
 comfortable. I would not for the world do anything 
 to upset or distress her." 
 
 "If it upsets and distresses her, you must give it 
 up, that's all," said Dorothy ; "but it is worth sound- 
 ing her on the subject. Don't say a word, Effie; I'll 
 speak to your mother about it." 
 
 Effie looked puzzled and anxious. 
 
 "I would give anything to go," she murmured to 
 herself. "It is torture to live on here, thinking of 
 nothing but how to make a hundred pounds a year 
 pay everything that is expected of it. Then I should 
 be one off the family purse, for all my expenses would 
 be paid by the hospital. Yes, surely it must be right. 
 At any rate, I'll allow Dorothy to speak."
 
 144 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 When tea was over, George, who had come in, and 
 was, as usual, devoting himself to his mother, tried 
 to coax her to come out with him a little. 
 
 "No, not to-night," said Dorothy suddenly. "I 
 have something very special to say to Mrs. Staunton. 
 Perhaps you would stay and listen, too, George ?" 
 
 George did not mind being called by his Christian 
 name by Dorothy. She was regarded by the Staun- 
 tons as part and parcel of the family. 
 
 "I'll do anything to oblige you," he said, giving 
 the handsome nurse a look of genuine admiration. 
 "Come, mother; if we are not to go out, we can at 
 least sit near each other." 
 
 He drew up a chair close to his mother as he spoke, 
 and put one of his arms around her neck. She leaned 
 her head on his shoulder, and sat there in perfect 
 <x>ntent. 
 
 After a time one of his strong hands closed over 
 hers. She had never, even in the doctor's time, felt 
 more warmly and happily protected. 
 
 "Yes, Dorothy, what have you to say ?" she re- 
 marked. "George and I are all attention." 
 
 "George and you!" laughed Dorothy. "I never 
 saw such a devoted pair. Why, you are just like a 
 pair of lovers 1"
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 145 
 
 "Well, we are lovers, aren't we, mother?" said 
 the son. 
 
 "Yes, my boy," she replied. "No love was ever 
 stronger than that which binds us together." 
 
 "I love to hear you say that," remarked Dorothy; 
 "but now I want to talk on quite another matter. I 
 am very anxious about Effie." 
 
 "Effie!" said Mrs. Staunton, just glancing at her 
 daughter. "What about her ? She seems quite well. 
 Are you well, Effie ?" 
 
 "Yes, mother, I am perfectly well," replied Effie. 
 
 "Oh, it is not that," said Dorothy, a touch of scorn 
 coming into her voice. "Effie may be well in body, 
 but she is just starved in soul." 
 
 "Starved!" said Mrs. Staunton with a start. 
 "What do you mean, Dorothy ?" 
 
 "Oh, never mind her, please, mother !" said Effie 
 in distress. "I am all right, really." 
 
 "No, she is not," continued Dorothy. "She is not 
 right in the way I should like to see her right. The 
 fact is, she wants a change." 
 
 "Poor child !" said Mrs. Staunton. " We are not 
 rich, enough to think of changes." 
 
 "The sort of change she wants will not cost you
 
 146 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 any money. The fact is, I want her to become what 
 Heaven intended her to be a thoroughly trained hos- 
 pital nurse. There is a vacancy now for a proba- 
 tioner at St. Joseph's, and I can get her admitted 
 at once. May she conie ? That's the main point to 
 consider." 
 
 Mrs. Staunton looked at Erne. Erne looked back 
 at her mother. 
 
 It seemed to Effie at that moment as if she would 
 have given anything for her mother to say, "No, I 
 cannot spare her." On the contrary, Mrs. Staunton 
 said in a calm voice : 
 
 "I leave the choice entirely to Effie herself. If 
 she thinks she can be spared, she may go. The fact 
 is, Effie, my love, your your dear father spoke to 
 me on this subject the very night he was taken ill. 
 He seemed to wish it then ; that is, if you cared for 
 it yourself. If you are still of the same way of think- 
 ing, I for one should not think it right to make the 
 slightest opposition." 
 
 "But how are you to do without her?" asked 
 George in some dismay. 
 
 "Oh, I can manage I am not the helpless old 
 woman you seem to consider me. George, I really
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 147 
 
 feel better and stronger every day. The more I do 
 for you, the less of an invalid I seem to be. Effie 
 has been quite tiresome lately, trying to manage the 
 money, and taking all care off my hands, but I am 
 quite capable of seeing to matters myself; and then 
 Agnes is growing a big girl she can go out to buy 
 what I shall order." 
 
 Effie looked very pale. She sat perfectly still for 
 a moment. Then she stood up. 
 
 ""Very well, mother, I'll go," she said in a subdued 
 voice. "When can you be ready for me, Dorothy ?" 
 she continued. 
 
 "In a week's time," said Dorothy. "There are cer- 
 tain preliminaries to be gone through, but I will send 
 you a paper of our rules. You must fill up a form 
 in short, you must do exactly what you are instructed 
 to do on the paper. You will probably be admitted 
 before this day week." 
 
 Dorothy said a few more words and then took her 
 leave. Effie accompanied her out on the landing. 
 
 "I think you make a mistake in letting Effie go, 
 mother," said George, when he was alone with his 
 mother. 
 
 "Not at all, my son. The fact is, fond as I am
 
 148 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 of my dear Effie, she takes almost too much control 
 lately of our money affairs I shall be glad to get 
 them into my own hands. There are very many com- 
 forts which I could give you, darling, which are 
 simply put out of my power by Effie's determination 
 to keep the family purse." 
 
 George said nothing. He stooped to kiss his moth- 
 er's cheek. 
 
 He had not looked at matters from that point of 
 view before. He allowed his mother fifty pounds 
 a year, which was half his present income, and it 
 suddenly occurred to him that he was making a very 
 generous allowance, and that he should have a full 
 share of the benefit. 
 
 "What I have been thinking is this," said Mrs. 
 Staunton. "Out of the fifty pounds a year which 
 you, dear boy, give us, we ought to provide a certain 
 portion of your wardrobe. You really want new 
 shirts. I suggested to Effie a week ago that I should 
 like her to buy some fine lawn, as I wanted to make 
 them for you, and she said at once that we could not 
 afford it. But never mind, dearest ; when mother 
 is put into her own position again you shall have the 
 best shirts of any young man in the city."
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 14# 
 
 Now George was really satisfied with his present 
 shirts, but if his mother chose to make him better 
 ones he did not care to oppose her. He hoped that 
 he would be asked out a little in the evenings during 
 the coming winter, and he wondered if his mother 
 could possibly squeeze an evening suit for him out 
 of the allowance he gave her. He did not express 
 this thought, however, at the present moment, and 
 as Effie re-entered the room the two changed the con- 
 versation. 
 
 George went out for a little, and Effie took up some 
 needlework, sitting where the lamp in the center of 
 the table fell full upon her bright brown hair. 
 
 "I wonder, Effie," said Mrs. Staunton in a tone 
 of almost discontent, "that you did not speak ta 
 me before now on this subject. I cannot bear to think 
 that a child of mine does not give me her full confi- 
 dence. You know I am the last person in the world 
 to keep you drudging and toiling at home when you 
 yourself long for a wider field of usefulness." 
 
 "Yes, mother, I know that," said Effie in a grave 
 voice. "The fact is," she continued, "I did not think 
 it would be possible for you to spare me ; but if you 
 can, and you think it right for me to go, I shall, of
 
 150 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 course, be delighted, for I have long had my heart 
 in this work." 
 
 "You are like all other modern girls," said Mrs. 
 Staunton in that provokingly inconsistent way which 
 characterized her; "you are not satisfied with the 
 home nest. Well, well, I have got my boy, and I 
 must not complain." 
 
 "Oh, mother ! dear mother ! you have got us all." 
 Effie rose from her chair, went over and knelt by 
 her mother's side. 
 
 "I would give anything in the world," she said, 
 looking full at Mrs. Staunton, "for you to say that 
 you are going to miss me awfully." 
 
 The sight of her pretty face softened the mother's 
 heart. 
 
 "Of course I shall miss you, my darling," she said. 
 " You always were the best of girls ; but I don't wish 
 to stand in your way. I know you will be happy 
 where your heart is, and your father wished it. That, 
 in my opinion, settles the matter." 
 
 "Well, I have a week," said Effie more cheerfully, 
 standing up as she spoke. "I must do all in my power 
 to instruct Agnes. I must teach her the little econo- 
 mies which I have been trying to practice."
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 151 
 
 "No, you need not do that, Effie. When you go 
 to the hospital I intend to resume full control of the 
 family purse." 
 
 Effie hesitated and looked anxiously at her mother 
 as she said this. 
 
 "I wish it, my love, so there's no use in discussing 
 the matter," continued Mrs. Staunton. "I know ex- 
 actly what we have got to spend one hundred and 
 fifty pounds a year. It is very little, indeed, but 
 I rather fancy I am as good a manager as my child. 
 I have at least a wider experience to guide me. Out 
 of that income dear George provides a third. It 
 seems to me, Effie, that we should give him rather 
 more comforts than he has had lately for this gen- 
 erous allowance." 
 
 "Oh, mother ! George really wants for nothing." 
 
 "I cannot agree with you. I should wish him to 
 have beer at supper every night." 
 
 "I do not think it can be managed. There is not 
 a penny to spare." 
 
 "Well, my dear, we will see. It is also only just 
 that a proportion of his money should be devoted to 
 providing him with suitable underclothing." 
 
 "Oh, mother! mother! Have you thought of the
 
 152 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 thousand and one things which are required for the 
 children and yourself? Surely, George can manage 
 to buy his own clothes out of the fifty pounds which 
 he reserves for his personal expenses !" 
 
 "That's so like a girl !" exclaimed Mrs. Staunton, 
 clasping her hands. "She knows about as little of 
 a young man's life as she does of his Greek and 
 Latin. Well, my love, we will propose no changes 
 while you are at home. You must go to the hospital 
 with a light heart, taking your mother's blessing with 
 
 you." 
 
 "A light heart, indeed !" thought poor Effie when 
 she reached her room that night. "A light heart, with 
 mother spoiling George as hard as ever she can ! I 
 wonder how the others are to fare when George is 
 to be treated like a prince in every way, and I won- 
 der how that interest is to be met. Oh, dear! oh, 
 dear! but it shall be paid somehow. Well, I sup- 
 pose I am doing right. Mother would not have been 
 content with this state of things much longer, that's 
 more than evident ; and then my dear father wished 
 it. Yes, I'll take up my new life I trust it will 
 bring a blessing with it but, oh, mother ! how anx- 
 ious you make me!"
 
 CHAPTER XIV 
 
 IN a week's time Effie found herself an inmate of 
 the great hospital which, for present purposes, we 
 will call by the name of St. Joseph's. It was situ- 
 ated in the east of London. Dorothy had been trained 
 here, and was now superintendent of one of the wards, 
 
 Effie was to go up for a month's trial. At the end 
 of that time she would be paid at the rate of twelve 
 pounds the first year, and twenty pounds the second. 
 Her training would take two years. A certain amount 
 of her uniform would also be provided, and every- 
 thing found for her with the exception of washing. 
 
 She did not soon forget the evening of her arrival. 
 She had said good-by to her mother, had kissed the 
 children, had given Agnes all final directions, and 
 at last found herself in the eab which was to take 
 her to St. Joseph's. It drew up presently outside 
 one of the large entrance doors. 
 
 A lady, who was called the Home Sister, received 
 153
 
 154 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 Effie very kindly, and offered her a friendly cup of 
 tea. The hour of her arrival was about four in the 
 afternoon. She was then taken up to her own room, 
 and instructed how to put her cap on, and how to 
 wear her new uniform in the neatest and most com- 
 pact way. Her dress was a pretty lilac check, and 
 she wore a cap with a frill around it, and long tails 
 at the back. Her apron bib was high to the collar 
 in front, and fastened with straps which crossed at 
 the back. Nothing could be neater and more ser- 
 viceable than the dress. 
 
 The kind sister, having seen that Effie was all right, 
 gave her a friendly smile, and then led her along 
 several dim passages, up and down many stairs, un- 
 til she finally found herself in a long, light ward, 
 where from thirty to forty women were lying in bed. 
 The Home Sister introduced Effie to the sister of the 
 ward, who went by the name of Sister Kate. Sister 
 Kate nodded to her, said a word or two in a very 
 busy voice, and then Effie found herself practically 
 on the threshold of her new life. The sister who had 
 been kind to her during tea, who had shown her to 
 her room, and instructed her how to dress, had van- 
 ished. Sister Kate looked far too busy and anxious
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 155 
 
 to be worried by questions; and Effie, capable and 
 active as she always was, found herself, for the first 
 time in her life, with nothing to do, and overcome 
 by strange nervousness. She was too much embar- 
 rassed to be of real use. Her face was burning with 
 blushes. Sister Kate was tired with her long day's 
 work. There was a great deal to be done to put the 
 ward straight for the night, and she 'really had no 
 time to devote to the probationer. The women lying 
 in their beds seemed to have eyes and ears for no 
 one but Effie. Between sixty and seventy eyes turned 
 on her wherever she moved, whatever she looked at, 
 whatever she did. Some of the eyes in the pale and 
 harassed faces looked kindly and interested, some of 
 them merely amused, some of them cross and discon- 
 tented. Effie knew that these women would be queru- 
 lous and even rude under the touch of strange and 
 untutored hands. 
 
 At last the night nurses arrived, the bell rang, and 
 Sister Kate came forward to show the new proba- 
 tioner the way to the dining-hall. 
 
 Here were several long tables, where the nurses, 
 all dressed exactly alike, sat down to supper. Effie 
 took her place and quickly discovered that the others
 
 156 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 were far too tired and hungry to pay any attention 
 to her. She felt too excited to eat, and sat watching 
 the faces of those around her. 
 
 Supper was immediately followed by prayers, and 
 then came bed. Effie's first evening as a proba- 
 tioner was over. 
 
 She did not know whether to cry or to laugh as 
 she laid her head on her pillow. The reality was 
 so different from anything her fancy had painted. 
 The practical character of the work, the absence of 
 all sentiment, the real illness, the real burden of hu- 
 manity, seemed to press down upon her. 
 
 She had thought, a week ago, when Dorothy pro- 
 posed that she should come to St. Joseph's, of the 
 delight of being in the same hospital with her friend, 
 but she now discovered that she was unlikely to see 
 much of Dorothy even though she lived under the 
 same roof. Dorothy was sister of a ward, and that 
 ward was not the one where Effie was to serve her 
 probationership. She had the comfort of a very small 
 room to herself, and was just closing her eyes in sleep 
 when the handle of the room door was softly turned, 
 and Dorothy, looking beautiful in her sister's dress 
 of soft navy serge, came in.
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 157 
 
 "So, here you are, my poor little thing," said Dor- 
 othy, bending over Effie and kissing her. "I have 
 just come in for one minute to say God bless you. 
 You have come, the ice is broken. You have a fine 
 career before you. Don't be discouraged by what 
 you saw to-night." 
 
 "Oh, I am so lonely !" said Effie with a quiver in 
 her voice. "I was sure when I came here that I 
 should be in the ward with you, Dorothy." 
 
 "No, my dear, that was not possible," replied Dor- 
 othy. "Of course I should have been very glad if 
 it could have been arranged, but I had no voice in 
 the matter. As it cannot be, dearest, try to believe 
 that this is just the best thing that could have hap- 
 pened to you, to be flung at once, as it were, on your 
 own feet. You will thus gain experience without 
 having a crutch like me to lean upon. I know the 
 first night is very bad, but you will soon learn your 
 duties and become intensely interested in the life. 
 You are with Sister Kate, are you not ?" 
 
 "Yes," said Effie. "She scarcely spoke to me I 
 never felt so awkward in my life, and I know that 
 I was never half so clumsy." 
 
 "Of course," said Dorothy, with a smile. "Don't
 
 158 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 I know the feeling well ? It all passes over, my love, 
 and far more quickly than you have the least idea 
 of. Remember you have got the power those little 
 hands are capable, that head holds a steady and sen- 
 sible brain. Why, Effie, you have gone through far 
 worse times than this without flinching. Surely, 
 surely, yxm are not going to break down now ?" 
 
 "Oh, I won't ! I won't !" said Effie with a sob ; "but 
 I felt lonely, very lonely, and it was so very kind of 
 you to come to see me." 
 
 "Of course I have come to see you I am only too 
 delighted to do anything in my power for you. I 
 would have rushed down to share your cup of tea 
 on your arrival, but a bad case was just being brought 
 into the ward, and I could not leave. Now I must 
 go to bed myself, or I shan't be fit for work to-mor- 
 row. Good-night, Effie. I have arranged that you 
 are to spend every second Sunday at home." 
 
 "Oh, how good you are how thankful I am !" ex- 
 claimed Effie. 
 
 Dorothy was leaving the room, when she turned 
 back. 
 
 "I forgot to tell you that you are very lucky to be 
 under Sister Kate," she said. "There is not a nurse
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 159 
 
 in the whole hospital who trains as she does, and her 
 probationers always get the best certificates at the 
 end of the two years of training." 
 
 "She looks so severe and hard," said Erne, 
 
 "She is a little severe, and some people may call 
 her hard, but she has a tender heart under all that 
 strict, somewhat cold manner, and then she is so just. 
 My dear, when you know more of hospital life you 
 will be thankful that you are with a just and patient 
 sister. Sister Kate is both. She will soon recognize 
 you, Effie, for what you are. Now good-night, my 
 love." 
 
 Dorothy went away, and soon afterward Effie fell 
 asleep. 
 
 The next morning she was awakened by a bell, at 
 what seemed to her something like the middle of the 
 night. She had to dress herself quickly, and then 
 go into the ward and begin her duties. 
 
 She found, somewhat to her surprise, that she had 
 to begin her nurse's life as a sort of maid of all work ; 
 she had to scrub floors, to clean grates, to polish han- 
 dles it seemed to her that she never had a moment 
 to herself from morning till night. Her feet felt 
 very sore, her back ached. Once or twice she felt
 
 160 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 so dreadfully fagged that she wondered if she could 
 keep up. But through it all, growing greater and 
 greater as the days went on, there came a sense of 
 full satisfaction, of something accomplished, some- 
 thing done, of the feeling that she was being trained 
 thoroughly and efficiently, so that at the end of her 
 time of probation she might be able to say, "There's 
 one thing which I can do well" 
 
 When the first Sunday came she was glad to hurry 
 tome. She went back brimful of news, and looked 
 forward to the quiet time in her mother's little par- 
 lor with great delight. 
 
 Mrs. Staunton was glad to see her. The children 
 were all dressed in their black frocks, and looked 
 neat and comfortable. George was in the room. It 
 seemed to Effie as if she did not recognize his coat 
 she wondered if it could possibly be a new one. 
 
 She arrived at home a little before the midday 
 dinner, and presently the landlady came in to lay the 
 oloth. This used to be Agnes' occupation. Effie did 
 not say anything while the woman was in the room, 
 but when she went out she remarked on this change. 
 
 "Oh, it's all right," said Mrs. Staunton. "I pay 
 half a crown a week extra, and the landlady now
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 161 
 
 waits on us. It is much more comfortable, I assure 
 you, Effie, and worth the extra bit of money." 
 
 Effie colored ; she gave Agnes a reproachful glance, 
 but did not say anything. 
 
 Agnes turned her back with a little sniff. 
 
 "Why, Effie !" she said suddenly, "how coarse your 
 hands have got ! What in the world have you been 
 doing?" 
 
 Effie laughed. 
 
 "Polishing, cleaning and scrubbing," she said. "In 
 short, doing very much what Mrs. Robinson's little 
 maid of all work does down in the kitchen here." 
 
 "Oh, dear ! dear !" exclaimed Agnes. "If those 
 are a nurse's duties, you won't catch me going in for 
 that sort of profession." 
 
 "It's awfully interesting," said Effie. "I have, of 
 course, to begin at the bottom, but I like it very 
 much." 
 
 While she was speaking there came a knock at 
 the door. George went to open it, and a young man 
 came in. George brought him up to introduce him 
 to his mother. 
 
 "This is my great friend, Fred Lawson, mother," 
 he said. "Effie, let me introduce you to Lawson 
 Lawson, this is my sister Effie."
 
 162 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 Effie bowed. She felt the color rushing all over 
 her face. Lawson was the man whom George had 
 wronged in some mysterious way. Lawson was the 
 man for whom that dreadful two hundred and fifty 
 pounds was required.
 
 CHAPTER XV 
 
 THEY all sat down to dinner, which Effie further 
 noticed was a great deal more luxurious than when 
 she held the purse strings. There was a nice little 
 joint of roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, and one or 
 two vegetables. This course was followed by an apple 
 tart and custard ; and then the board was graced with 
 some russet apples and walnuts and a bottle of port 
 wine. 
 
 Erne felt such a sense of consternation that she 
 could scarcely eat this pleasant food. But Mrs. 
 Staunton, George, Lawson, and the younger children 
 enjoyed the dinner thoroughly. When the beef was 
 taken away, there was very little left on the joint; 
 ancl as to the fruit tart, it vanished almost as soon 
 as it was cut. Effie could not help wondering to 
 herself how one hundred and fifty pounds a year 
 could meet this lavish style of living. 
 
 Lawson talked very pleasantly during dinner. 
 
 163
 
 164 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 After glancing toward Effie several times, he sud- 
 denly remarked: 
 
 "I cannot help feeling that I know your face," 
 said he. "Where and when have we met before ?" 
 
 "I saw you last night," said Effie with a smile. 
 
 "You saw me last night! What in the world do 
 you mean ?" 
 
 "Yes," said Effie. "Don't you remember No. 17 
 in B Ward ? You came in to stop that terrible hem- 
 orrhage from the lungs from which she was suffer- 
 ing." 
 
 "B Ward at St. Joseph's?" exclaimed Lawson. 
 
 "Oh, my dear Effie, now I beg of you not to al- 
 lude to horrible things at dinner !' exclaimed Mrs. 
 Staunton. 
 
 "No, mother; I am sorry I mentioned it." Effie 
 colored up. 
 
 "What have you to do with St. Joseph's?" said 
 Lawson. 
 
 "I am a probationer in B Ward, under Sister 
 Kate." 
 
 "Never ! How extraordinary ! Now I remember 
 you are the girl who held the basin. So you really 
 are a probationer! A fresh one! Have you been 
 there long?"
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 165 
 
 "Just a week." 
 
 "Well, let me congratulate you on one thing you 
 held that basin without shaking it. I expect you 
 have got plenty of nerve. Of course, I knew I must 
 have seen you before ; I never forget a face." 
 
 Lawson presently went out with George for a walk. 
 Agnes dressed the children and took them with her 
 to the Sunday-school, and Effie was alone with her 
 mother. 
 
 "Come and sit by me, darling," said Mrs. Staun- 
 ton. "It is so very nice to have you home again ; I 
 miss you very much, my dear daughter. But I am 
 really getting better. George wants me to consult 
 Dr. Davidson at St. Joseph's Hospital. He thinks 
 that your dear father may have been mistaken about 
 my heart, and that it may get quite strong and well 
 again." 
 
 "If you feel better, I don't think I should consult 
 any one," said Effie, trembling a little. 
 
 "Well, dear well, there's no hurry about it. But 
 I always notice, Effie, and it distresses me not a lit- 
 tle, that any suggestion of George's you are likely 
 to pooh-pooh ; now surely that is scarcely fair to him r 
 dear fellow ? You must notice, my love, how cheer-
 
 166 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 ful and pleasant we have made this room. George 
 insisted on my getting new curtains only white mus- 
 lin, you careful child. They cost really very little, 
 but they do make such a difference in the effect. Then 
 he has also determined that I shall live better, plenty 
 of meat and a little port wine. It is a most false 
 economy, my dear, not to attend to one's diet. There's 
 nothing else keeps up the health." 
 
 "Yes, mother, I know all that ; but good, expensive, 
 nourishing things have to be paid for." 
 
 "Now, Effie, don't let me hear you begin that dis- 
 mal plaint. Do you really mean to insinuate that 
 I, your mother, would go into debt for things ?" 
 
 "Oh, no, dear mother ! How could I think that ?" 
 
 "You imply it, my love, by your manner." 
 
 Effie sighed. 
 
 It was hopeless to argue or remonstrate. She felt 
 as if the little home, so different from the beloved 
 one at Whittington, was in reality constructed over 
 a volcano any day it might collapse. The weight 
 of sorrow which pressed against her heart as she 
 thought of this, of her father, of the old life, quite 
 crushed the brave spirit for the moment. Where was 
 George's honor ? How dared he lead his mother into
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 167 
 
 these extravagances, when he knew, too, when he 
 knew 
 
 Effie clasped her hands tightly together. She re- 
 strained her emotions with an effort, and turned the 
 conversation to indifferent matters. 
 
 Mrs. Staunton was certainly in better spirits. 
 There was a little color in her cheeks, and some of 
 the old sweet brightness in her eyes. 
 
 When George had been absent about an hour she 
 grew restless and distraite; she left her seat by Effie's 
 side, and going to the window, looked up and down 
 the street. 
 
 "I hope the rain isn't coming on," she said; "he 
 forgot to taH; an overcoat." 
 
 "Who, mother?" 
 
 "George." 
 
 "But really, mother, dear, he isn't sugar ; he won't 
 melt." 
 
 "There you are again, Effie, making little of your 
 brother. It so happens that he has a nice new coat 
 on to-day, and I don't want it to get shabby at once." 
 
 "A new coat ! How did he buy it ?" 
 
 "I lent him a little money for the purpose. He 
 didn't go into debt, so you need not think it."
 
 168 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 "I wonder you were able to spare the money." 
 
 "Oh, yes; some of my dividends fell due, and 
 were paid on Monday. I lent George three pounds. 
 I think he has got a wonderful coat for the money. 
 He will pay me back as soon as he gets his own sal- 
 ary. Ah! and there he is, dear fellow! and that 
 nice-looking young man, Mr. Lawson. Erne, now do 
 ring the bell; Mrs. Robinson ought to have tea on 
 the table." 
 
 With a great effort Effie kept from making re- 
 marks which she knew would only irritate her mother. 
 
 She said to herself, "There's no help for things 
 to-day. The person to talk to is George; he ought 
 not to allow mother to rush through her money in 
 this way. I wonder if I am doing wrong in giving 
 up my home life to the hospital ; but no, I don't think 
 I am. Mother would have insisted on managing the 
 money, in any case." 
 
 Mrs. Robinson appeared with the tea-tray. There 
 was a little jug of cream and a shilling Madeira cake ; 
 there was also a great plate of thick bread and but- 
 ter for the children. The tea-tray was placed on the 
 table, and George and Lawson took their tea stand- 
 ing. Effie helped them. Lawson looked at her once
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 169 
 
 or twice, and thought what a wonderfully nice face 
 she had, how true her eyes were, how good she seemed 
 altogether. 
 
 "She's altogether of different metal from her 
 brother," thought the young man. "I wish with all 
 my heart he were like her; but although there is 
 something lovable about him, and we are chums, of 
 course, yet I never feel quite sure of myself when 
 in his company." 
 
 The meal which followed was quite merry. Phil 
 and Marjory had gone up to the top of their class 
 in Sunday-school ; Agnes was promoted to teach a 
 class of very little children; Katie was going in for 
 the Junior Cambridge Examination, and eagerly con- 
 sulted Effie about some books which she was obliged 
 to procure. Effie promised to give her the money 
 out of her first month's salary. 
 
 "But that will be some time off," she said, "for I 
 am only going through my month's trial now, so 
 you must be patient, Katie." 
 
 "I'll lend you the money," said George, stroking 
 his sister's hair. 
 
 He looked so affectionate and handsome, and so 
 manly and good-humored, that it was impossible not
 
 170 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 to feel pleased with him. Mrs. Staunton's eyes quite 
 beamed as she glanced at her eldest son. 
 
 "Now, mother, I am going to sit near you," he 
 said. He drew his chair close to his mother and began 
 to talk to her in a low tone. 
 
 Effie and Lawson exchanged a few words over hos- 
 pital work. He would make an enthusiastic doctor 
 some day; he loved the profession, and thought it 
 the noblest in the world. He reminded Effie a little 
 of her father. 
 
 The quick hours flew all too fast. Effie's time 
 was up. She went back to the hospital with a curious 
 sense of uneasiness, but equally also of rest and re- 
 freshment. It was nice to think that George had 
 such a good friend as Ered Lawson.
 
 CHAPTEK XVI 
 
 Two MONTHS passed away without any special in- 
 cident. Effie's month of trial being over, she was 
 now established at St. Joseph's as a regular proba- 
 tioner. Her salary of twelve pounds a year began 
 from the day her second month commenced. All 
 those qualities which Dorothy was quite sure that 
 Erne possessed were coming abundantly to the fore. 
 She had tact, she had courage, she had nerve. She 
 was also absolutely unselfish. Self was not in the 
 foreground with her; the work which she had to do, 
 the work which she meant to carry through in the 
 best possible manner, in the bravest spirit, with the 
 most conscientious sense of duty, ever filled her men- 
 tal horizon. Sister Kate began to trust Erne. She 
 began to smile at her now and then, and to give her 
 not quite so much floor-scrubbing and grate-polishing, 
 and a little more work to do for the patients them- 
 selves. 
 
 171
 
 172 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 The patients liked to call Effie to smooth their 
 sheets, to turn their pillows, to give them their drinks. 
 One or two of them, when they had an odd moment, 
 began to make little confidences to her. She learned 
 their histories almost at a glance. She also studied 
 their fancies; she began to find out the exact way 
 Mrs. Kobinson liked her gruel flavored, and how 
 Miss Guiers liked her pillows arranged. Effie made 
 no fuss over the patients fuss and favoritism were 
 strongly against the rules but, notwithstanding, she 
 was a favorite herself. 
 
 More than one pair of tired eyes looked at her 
 with longing and refreshment as she passed, and more 
 than one pair of wearied lips smiled when she came 
 near. 
 
 Two months went by in this fashion very, very 
 quickly, as such busy months must. It was found 
 impossible to allow Effie to go home every Sunday, 
 but she went, as a rule, every second one. 
 
 Things seemed to be going fairly straight at home. 
 The extravagance she had noticed on her first Sun- 
 day was not repeated to the same extent. Mrs. Staun- 
 ton seemed decidedly better, and Effie gave herself 
 up with a thankful heart to her work.
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 173 
 
 It was now the middle of winter, close upon Christ- 
 mas time. The weather outside was bitterly cold, 
 although in the ward Effie scarcely felt this. She 
 wore her neat lilac print dress just the same in winter 
 as in summer. 
 
 One day, about a week before Christmas, when 
 a thick, yellow fog was shutting out all the view 
 from the high ward windows, Effie was doing some- 
 thing for No. 47, a poor, tired-looking woman of 
 the name of Martin, when Lawson, the young medi- 
 cal student, came suddenly into the ward. He had 
 been sent by the house physician to take notes on a 
 certain case. This case happened to be the very 
 one which Effie was attending. When he saw Effie a 
 peculiar expression passed over his face. It was 
 against the strictest of all rules for the medical stu- 
 dents ever to address a word to the probationers ; 
 even the necessary duties required of them had to 
 be conveyed through a sister or a ward nurse. Effie 
 was helping poor No. 47 to drink a little milk and 
 soda-water. As she put the glass back in its place 
 Lawson came close to her. He said abruptly: 
 
 "I am very anxious to have a conversation with 
 you about George."
 
 174. A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 She colored crimson when he addressed her. 
 
 ''Yes," she said. 
 
 "Nurse !" exclaimed Sister Kate's voice at that mo- 
 ment in a harsh, sharp tone, "go at once and make 
 up the fire at the other end of the room." 
 
 Effie went off trembling and disturbed. 
 
 The fact of Lawson having specially addressed her 
 passed out of her mind immediately, but the mention 
 of George's name filled her with fear. 
 
 It was the first time in her hospital life that she 
 absolutely forgot the rules laid down for her con- 
 duct. Sister Kate, who had the eyes of a hawk, no- 
 ticed when Lawson bent over to speak to the pretty 
 little probationer. It was her duty to correct the 
 faintest attempt at flirting on the part of the proba- 
 tioners and medical students. She felt shocked at 
 Effie, who was fast becoming a favorite of hers, per- 
 mitting such a thing for a moment, and when next 
 Effie had anything to do for her quite resumed her 
 icy manner toward her. 
 
 No. 47 required some special attention again that 
 evening she was feverish, and not going on well. 
 She called Eflie to her side in an eager voice. 
 
 "You might turn my pillow again for me, dear,"
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 175 
 
 she said. "You know how to hitch it right under 
 the small of my back, better than any of those other 
 nurses. There, now ; that's better. Stoop your head 
 a bit, love. I believe if you go downstairs into the 
 hall, near the surgery, you are safe to see that young 
 doctor; he is sure to be in the dispensary about this 
 time, and you might catch him when he is going 
 out." 
 
 "Hush!" said Effie. "I know you mean kindly, 
 but you ought not to talk like that." 
 
 "Oh, my love, I know, I know," said the woman 
 with a wink. "We was all young once I am three- 
 and-forty, and have never had a mate. I missed 
 my chance when I was young. Don't miss yours, 
 nurse." 
 
 Effie turned pale with indignation; but then, see- 
 ing that the woman meant kindly, she tried to smile. 
 
 "I am very much obliged to you," she said, "but 
 things aren't a bit the way you think." She then 
 went off to perform her other duties. 
 
 Sister Kate spoke to her sharply. 
 
 "Nurse," she said, "I hope you remember the rule 
 which forbids favoritism. I noticed that you stayed 
 longer than was necessary with No. 47."
 
 176 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 "She complained a good deal of her back, sister, 
 and I was arranging her pillows for her." 
 
 "Don't try to deceive me," said Sister Kate. "You 
 know perfectly well that you did not spend all that 
 time arranging a pillow. Now go and help to bring 
 up the teas." 
 
 Effie turned to her duties with a tingling sensation 
 in her eyes. 
 
 It was the first time since her arrival at St. Jo- 
 seph's that her work seemed almost impossible to 
 her. Her heart quite ached with longing to know 
 what Lawson had meant. What had he to tell her 
 about George ? As she thought, her fears grew great- 
 er, and her memory of the hospital rules less and 
 lees. 
 
 She determined, at any risk, to try and see Lawson 
 that evening. It would be impossible for her to ven- 
 ture down into the central hall of the hospital, but 
 she felt certain that he would come into the ward 
 again late that evening. 
 
 Sister Kate would be off duty at nine o'clock, and 
 Sister Alice, the night superintendent, was not nearly 
 so strict. Effie hovered about near the door; she 
 knew she was disobeying rules, for she ought to have
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 177 
 
 gone to bed soon after nine o'clock. No one noticed 
 her, however. The night nurses were all busy tak- 
 ing up their different duties, and Sister Alice was 
 talking to the house physician at the farther end of 
 the ward. 
 
 Suddenly Effie, standing near one of the doors, 
 saw Lawson coming upstairs. She ran to him with- 
 out a moment's hesitation. "What have you to tell 
 me about George ?" she said. 
 
 He colored, and looked almost annoyed when she 
 spoke to him. 
 
 "I cannot tell you here," he said in a hasty voice. 
 "Are you going home next Sunday ?" 
 
 "No; it's my Sunday in unless I could get one 
 of the other probationers to change with me." 
 
 "I wish you would manage to do that ; I really 
 want to see you very badly. If you'll go home on 
 Sunday, I'll call in the course of the afternoon, and 
 then I can walk back with you to the hospital. Now 
 go at once you must not be seen talking to me." 
 
 Effie flew down the corridor to her own little room. 
 
 That night she could scarcely sleep; she felt op- 
 pressed with all kinds of forebodings. The idea of 
 her having broken one of the rules, and, in fact, laid
 
 178 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 herself open to dismissal, never once entered into hei 
 head. 
 
 She was still the faithful nurse the earnest-mind- 
 ed, gentle, good girl, who would give up her whole 
 life to the alleviation of the suffering of others. The 
 fact of Effie having a dual life, of having a nature 
 which could not forget the old home ties, was not 
 likely, however, to be recognized in the hospital. 
 
 The next morning at breakfast she noticed that 
 one or two of the probationers giggled a little when 
 they saw her. She sat down in her usual seat, and 
 one of the girls nudged her elbow. 
 
 "Well," she said, "you're no better than the rest 
 of us." 
 
 "What in the world do you mean?" said Effie, 
 coloring scarlet. 
 
 "Oh, don't be so sly!" said the girl with a poke 
 which she intended to make playful. "He is a very 
 good-looking young fellow, too; only, if you don't 
 want to get into mischief, don't let Sister Kate see 
 it" 
 
 "I know what you mean," said Effie in a steady 
 voice, "but you are altogether mistaken. I scarcely 
 know Mr. Lawson ; he only spoke to me yesterday
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 17$ 
 
 because he happened to be a great friend of my 
 brother's." 
 
 "Oh, the usual thing," laughed the girl. "It's so 
 very convenient to have brothers, is it not, Lucy ?" 
 
 The girl addressed as Lucy grinned, and Effie felt 
 very uncomfortable. 
 
 At dinner that day it suddenly passed through her 
 mind that she must, by hook or by crook, induce one 
 of the probationers to change Sundays with her. Lucy 
 was usually a good-natured girl. Her people did not 
 live in town; as a rule, she spent her Sundays out 
 with her aunt-in-law. Effie went up to her when she 
 had a moment to spare. 
 
 "Lucy," she said, "I wish you would do some- 
 thing for me." 
 
 "To be sure I will, Effie," she replied ; "anything 
 in my power." 
 
 "I want to go home very badly next Sunday; do 
 you think it would be possible for me to change with 
 you?" 
 
 "Heigh-ho !" said Lucy. "You want to meet Mr. 
 Lawson ! I know your sly little ways !" 
 
 "No, indeed, it is not true," began Effie ; but then 
 she stopped, for she knew it was true. She would
 
 180 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 meet him. "Oh, how little Lucy knows the burden 
 that is pressing on me !" thought the poor girl. 
 
 Tears suddenly rose to her pretty brown eyes. 
 
 "I cannot explain things to you," she said; "I 
 would if I could. You must believe in me, and trust 
 me. I have a great deal of anxiety. Oh, it has noth- 
 ing to do with the hospital ; it is about my home life. 
 There is a great burden laid upon me. I want very 
 much to go home on Sunday. Indeed, Mr. Lawsen 
 has little to do with the real burden, only I believe 
 he can tell me something." 
 
 "I know you are a good girl," began Lucy, who 
 became grave on the spot. "Of course you shall take 
 my turn, if Sister Kate will allow it."
 
 CHAPTER XVII 
 
 SISTER KATE made no objection, and Effie hurried 
 home in a state of excitement which she could scarcely 
 restrain. Mrs. Staunton did not expect her, and the 
 poor girl felt her heart sink low in her breast when 
 she saw that her unexpected arrival scarcely gave 
 satisfaction. There was a nice white cloth on the 
 table, and a large bunch of flowers in a pretty cut- 
 glass jug stood in the center. An attempt at dessert 
 again graced the board, and Effie noticed that a bot- 
 tle of sherry and a bottle of port stood on the little 
 sideboard. 
 
 She felt a sense of dismay. 
 
 "Even mother is beginning to keep things from 
 me," she said to herself. "It is all George, of course t 
 They did not expect me home to-day, so they are 
 having a particularly good dinner. Is it possible 
 that even mother would try to deceive me ? Oh, dear ! 
 dear ! How changed all our life is, now that father 
 is no longer here !" 
 
 181
 
 182 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 There had never been the faintest shadow of con- 
 cealment about the honest doctor, and while with 
 her husband Mrs. Staunton was the most straightfor- 
 ward woman imaginable ; but, alas ! her character 
 was a weak one she was now completely under 
 George's influence, and George had learned to walk 
 in those crooked paths which those who begin to do 
 wrong are always tempted to follow. 
 
 He came in presently, looking particularly hand- 
 jsome and manly. He had on a nice new coat; and 
 his beautifully got up collar showed off his fresh 
 young face to the best possible advantage. 
 
 Mrs. Staunton called him up at once for Effie to 
 criticize. 
 
 "Doesn't he look well in a white silk tie?" she 
 said. "I like white ties better than colored ones 
 for him, and they are not so expensive, either, for 
 I can wash them myself." 
 
 "I wonder all that washing does not fag you, moth- 
 er," said Effie. 
 
 Before Mrs. Staunton could reply Mrs. Robinson 
 appeared with the dinner, and the family sat down 
 to an excellent meal. 
 
 Effie saw quite plainly that it would be useless
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 183 
 
 for her to attempt to expostulate. Mrs. Staunton, 
 after her first start of unconcealed dismay, was very 
 affectionate to her daughter. She told Effie that she 
 thought she looked a little pale, and wondered whether 
 all that nursing was not too much for her. 
 
 "Xo, mother ; I love the work," said Effie. 
 
 "But that is not the question, my love," said Mrs. 
 Staunton, shaking her head. "The question is this: 
 is it undermining your health?" 
 
 "Well, in any case, I should have to earn my liv- 
 ing," said Effie. "I could not possibly afford to do 
 nothing at home. As well earn it as a nurse as in 
 any other way, and I love nursing beyond anything 
 else in the world." 
 
 "You always were an obstinate, dear, little girl 
 
 was she not, George? But, after all, Effie " 
 
 Here Mrs. Staunton paused and looked at her son. 
 "I think I might tell Effie ?" she said, giving him a 
 bright nod. 
 
 "Oh, I don't suppose there is anything to make a 
 fuss over," replied George. He colored as he spoke, 
 and looked out of the window. He could easily hood- 
 wink his mother, but it was difficult to meet Effie's 
 clear eyes and not to feel sure that she was reading 
 him through, and seeing him as he really was.
 
 184 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 Agnes jumped up, saying it was full time to go 
 to Sunday-school. She carried off the children with 
 her, and George, his mother, and Effie were alone. 
 
 "Sit down in your usual chair, George," said his 
 mother. He did so, bringing up the port wine as 
 he spoke, and pouring out a glass, which he insisted 
 on his mother drinking. He tossed off one or two 
 glasses himself, after which his eyes grew bright and 
 steady, and a color came into his cheeks. 
 
 "Yes, tell Effie," he said. 
 
 "I think you might do so, George ; I am so proud 
 of you." 
 
 "No, mother. I like to hear you describing me; 
 you make rne feel such an awfully fine fellow." 
 
 George laughed as he spoke. 
 
 "Well, then, Effie," said his mother, "you will in 
 future learn to appreciate our dear George as he de- 
 serves. The fact is this: he has just got a rise in 
 his salary of a whole hundred a year. George is now 
 earning two hundred a year, and he has arranged, 
 dear fellow, to give me one hundred a year, in order 
 that I may have those little comforts which he thinks 
 I require." 
 
 "Is that really true?" said Effie, coloring. "Oh,
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 185 
 
 what splendid news !" She looked eagerly at George 
 as she spoke. She longed to jump up, throw her arms 
 around his neck, and kiss him. 
 
 K Is this true ?" she repeated. "Oh, I am so glad ! 
 We do want the money so badly !" 
 
 George stooped to flick off a speck of dust which 
 had settled on his immaculate shirt-cuff; his eyes 
 would not meet Effie's. 
 
 "Of course it is true," he said in a bravado sort 
 of voice. "You don't suppose I would tell mother 
 a lie, do you ?" 
 
 "Oh, Effie! How could you doubt him?" said 
 Mrs. Staunton, almost crying. 
 
 "No, mother, I don't doubt him," Effie replied. 
 She walked to the window. Her momentary pleas- 
 ure was over; she knew, just as well as if George had 
 told her, that the whole thing was a fabrication. If 
 he had more money, he was not getting it in his situ- 
 ation. His look, his attitude, joined to the few words 
 Lawson had said to her, made Effie quite certain on 
 that point. Burning words half rose to her lips, 
 but she checked them. She did not doubt George. 
 She read the truth in his eyes; what fell from his 
 lips was nothing.
 
 186 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 Mrs. Staunton kept on talking. "We shall have 
 real comforts at home now," she said. "I am, as my 
 boy says, a wonderful manager." 
 
 "The best in all the world," interrupted George. 
 "There never was such a mother." 
 
 Mrs. Staunton' s eyes quite shone with pleasure. 
 
 "What I was thinking of was this, Effie," she con- 
 tinued, "that if you really are not strong enough to 
 go on with your work, we can now afford to keep you 
 at home." 
 
 "Of course we can," said George. 
 
 He had scarcely said these words, half turning his 
 back on Effie as he spoke, when the room door was 
 opened by Mrs. Robinson and Lawson was announced. 
 
 When he saw his friend George suddenly turned 
 pale. He recovered himself in a moment, however, 
 and went forward to meet him, speaking in a loud 
 and bragging voice : 
 
 "Is that you, Lawson ? Welcome, old chap ! We 
 did not expect you to-day, but we are right glad to 
 see you, of course." 
 
 "You will stay and have tea with us, won't you, 
 Mr. Lawson ?" said Mrs. Staunton in her sweet voice. 
 
 "Yes; certainly," said Lawson.
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 187 
 
 He had given Effie his hand when he came into the 
 room, but he scarcely looked at her. 
 
 He sat down near Mrs. Staunton and began to 
 talk to her in his usual bright way. She yielded 
 after a moment to his charm. Lawson was a young 
 fellow with a great amount of general information; 
 he had also abundance of tact, and he knew how to 
 suit his words to Mrs. Staunton's requirements. 
 
 When George saw his friend talking to his mother 
 he went up to Effie and stood near her. 
 
 "Come to this end of the room," he said abruptly. 
 
 Effie followed him. 
 
 "I am likely to make quite a pile of money," he 
 said, speaking in a low voice and glancing toward 
 his mother. "I know you think badly of me it's 
 awfully hard on a fellow when his sister thinks badly 
 of him but, nevertheless, I am likely to be in a real 
 good way of business soon. And what I want to say 
 now is this, Effie. I am anxious to pay back that 
 two hundred and fifty pounds which you borrowed 
 for me." 
 
 "I wish you would," said Effie. 
 
 "Well, I dare say I can give you fifty pounds 
 toward it this week. Squire Harvey won't require 
 the whole of the money back at once."
 
 188 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 "Oh, be doesn't require it at all," said Effie. "It 
 is I who require it. It is my honor and the honor 
 of my dead father that demand it. It ought to be 
 paid back, and you ought to do it." 
 
 "Don't speak so loudly you do get so excited 
 about things," said George. 
 
 Effie lowered her voice. Lawson, as he talked to 
 Mrs. Staunton, glanced sharply at her. 
 
 Tea was brought in, and Effie had to take her place 
 at the tea-tray. George's words had made her feel 
 more uncomfortable than ever. It was absolute non- 
 sense to suppose that he could be earning money at 
 this rate. 
 
 After tea Effie had to go back to the hospital. 
 
 "Good-by, mother," she said. "I won't see you now 
 for a fortnight." 
 
 Mrs. Staunton got up and put her feeble old arms 
 around her daughter's neck. "Good-by, my darling," 
 she said. "Take care of yourself; don't overwork 
 yourself. Remember it is unnecessary. You have 
 got a home, and a dear, noble, faithful brother to 
 provide for you." 
 
 "Yes, Effie, you are heartily welcome to all that I 
 can give you," said George in a lofty tone.
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 189 
 
 Effie pressed her lips to her mother's, kept her arms 
 for one moment around her neck, and then turned 
 away with tears in her eyes, 
 
 "Good-by, George," she said, holding out her hand. 
 
 "1*11 see you back to the hospital," said George. 
 
 "Don't do that. It is a beautiful evening; mother 
 would like you to take a walk with her." 
 
 "And I'd have the greatest pleasure in seeing Miss 
 Effie home, if she would let me," said Lawson. 
 
 George hesitated for a moment. For some reason, 
 which was more than evident, he did not want Effie 
 to be alone with his friend. 
 
 He looked at his mother. She did not catch his 
 eye, or she would have read his wish by instinct. The 
 evening was really very fine, and she liked to walk 
 around the square leaning on George's arm. When 
 well enough, too, she liked him to take her to church. 
 
 "I think I'd enjoy a little walk with you, George," 
 she said. "The evening is quite like spring won- 
 derful weather for so near Christmas; the air is as 
 mild and soft as milk ; and as Mr. Lawson has so 
 kindly promised to see Effie back, perhaps you'd 
 come ?" 
 
 "All right," said George. "By-by, Effie; you'll 
 hear from me, perhaps, in the course of the week."
 
 190 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 Effie went downstairs, followed by Lawson. As 
 soon as ever they got out, he looked her full in the 
 face. 
 
 "You must be greatly amazed," he said, "at my 
 presuming to bother you about your family affairs." 
 
 "Oh, no !" she replied. "I think you are kind, but 
 your words have made me very anxious." 
 
 "Then," said Lawson, "you see for yourself that 
 things are not all right." 
 
 "I have known that for some time." 
 
 "George is a great friend of mine," continued 
 Lawson. "We saw a good deal of each other when 
 he first came to town he was a right jolly sort of 
 fellow then ; it was only about six months ago that, all 
 of a sudden, he seemed to change. I suppose he took 
 up with some bad companions, but I really can't say 
 for certain." 
 
 "But what about him now ?" said Effie in a voice 
 almost irritable with anxiety. "Have you anything 
 fresh to tell me ?" 
 
 "You heard him, probably, say to your mother that 
 he had a rise of salary ?" 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 "The fact is," continued Lawson, "I know that 
 not to be true."
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 191 
 
 Effie also in her heart of hearts knew it not to 
 be true, but she could not bear to hear a stranger 
 abuse her brother. 
 
 "How can you be sure?" she said, somewhat in- 
 consistently. 
 
 "How can I be sure ?" he retorted. "This is not 
 a matter of sentiment. I happen to know. George 
 is working with a relative, it is true, but Mr. Gering 
 is one of the hardest men in the city. Every one who 
 understands him knows the system on which he works, 
 and a relative has no more chance with him than an- 
 other. George will have to take his rise step by step 
 at something like the rate of ten pounds a year. Per- 
 haps he has told your mother that he has had quite a 
 large rise ?" 
 
 "He said a hundred a year; he said he was now 
 receiving two hundred a year." 
 
 "What is to be done ?" said Lawson. "Something 
 ought to be done to stop it. Your mother will cer- 
 tainly live beyond her means, and then you will all 
 get into no end of a mess. Do forgive me for taking 
 an interest ; the fact is, George was a great friend of 
 mine once." 
 
 "Oh, please don't give him up!" said Effie. "If
 
 192 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 good men turn against him, what chance has he, poor 
 fellow?" 
 
 "I won't, if you wish me to look after him," said 
 Lawson, giving her a quick glance. 
 
 At this moment two nurses from St. Joseph's Hos- 
 pital, who were crossing the street, saw Effie. They 
 noticed her earnest face, the sparkle in her eyes ; they 
 also observed the glance which the handsome young 
 medical student gave her. The women nudged one 
 another, smiled, and went on. 
 
 Effie never saw them. 
 
 "Let us walk a little faster," said Lawson, who was 
 not so unobservant. He felt vexed that the women 
 should see him with Effie, but now that he was with 
 her he must at least unburden his mind. 
 
 "George told me," said Effie "perhaps it is not 
 wrong to repeat it to you that he is likely to make a 
 great deal of money." 
 
 "Did he ? Did he tell you that did he happen to 
 say how much ?" 
 
 "Well, he spoke as if money were very easily 
 earned," said Effie. "He said something about get- 
 ting fifty pounds this week." 
 
 "I mast tell you the truth," said Lawson. "There'?
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 193 
 
 no help for it. Your brother will go straight to the 
 bad if he is not rescued, and that at once." 
 
 "What do you mean ? Oh, how you frighten me !" 
 
 Effie's face was as white as a sheet. 
 
 "I am ever so sorry," said Lawson, "but what is 
 the use of keeping back the truth \ George has had 
 ao rise of salary indeed, if he is not careful, he is 
 likely to lose his situation altogether." 
 
 "Then how does he get his money ?" 
 
 "He gets it by gambling." 
 
 "Gambling! Oh, no! oh, no!" said Effie. 
 
 She had the horror of that vice which a pure- 
 minded, well-brought-up girl must ever have. 
 
 "It is true," said Lawson. "It gives me the great- 
 est pain to tell you anything so bad of your brother, 
 but there's no help for it." 
 
 "But how do you know ?" interrupted E6e. 
 
 "I know by the best of evidence. I have had my 
 suspicions for some time, but I happened to see him 
 coming out of one of those places last week yes, I 
 must tell you I saw him coming out of a gambling 
 den. I think he goes night after night. At present 
 he is winning more than he loses, but that is always 
 the game for drawing fellows on."
 
 194 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 "It must be stopped," said Effie. She felt quite 
 faint and sick. If her mother knew this it would kill 
 her on the spot. 
 
 They had nearly reached the hospital, and Effie 
 turned and faced Lawson. 
 
 "You don't half know what this means to me," 
 she said. "George is not exactly like an ordinary 
 brother. When iny father died quite suddenly, of 
 diphtheria, some months ago, he left my mother in 
 George's care. If George goes to the bad now, she 
 will certainly die; you must have noticed for your- 
 self how she is wrapped up in him." 
 
 "Yes ; no one could fail to notice it. I think her 
 love for him beautiful; and he loves her, too. Poor 
 fellow! that is his great redeeming point." 
 
 "Oh, I don't call it real love," said Effie, almost 
 with passion, "to deceive her as he does to do wrong, 
 and that sort of wrong. Oh, I think my heart will 
 break!" 
 
 Tears choked her voice; she had the greatest pos- 
 sible difficulty in keeping them back. Lawson took 
 out his watch. 
 
 "You are not late," he said. "Let us take a turn 
 around this square."
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 195 
 
 They had entered an old-fashioned square, where 
 there were very few people. They walked around 
 and around the dismal central garden for some time. 
 Lawson talked and Effie listened. After a time they 
 decided that George's perilous downward career must 
 be stopped at any cost. Lawson said he would make 
 it his business to see George the following evening, 
 to tell him quite frankly what he knew, and, in short, 
 to compel him, if necessary, to do what was right. 
 
 "He'll be obstinate," said Effie. "I know he'll be 
 hard to deal with, Oh, what shall we do ? What 
 shall we do ? I am quite certain that already my 
 mother has gone far beyond our means. She hasn't 
 been half careful enough since I left her. If George 
 stops getting money in this way, she'll wonder and 
 question. I doubt very much whether you can have 
 the least influence over him. What is to be done ?" 
 
 "Don't be so downhearted," said Lawson. "He 
 requires a man to tackle him a man who really 
 knows the temptation? young fellows meet. If you'll 
 allow me to say so, Miss Staunton, I don't think the 
 case quite hopeless; anyhow, you may be quite sure 
 I'll do my best for him." 
 
 "Thank you," said poor Effie ; "you are more than
 
 196 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 good, and I do trust you." She hurried back to the 
 hospital, but, to her dismay, when she got there, 
 found that she was a quarter of an hour late. 
 
 Absolute punctuality in returning from any out- 
 door pleasure is expected from all nurses. She hur- 
 ried upstairs, hoping that she might gain her room, 
 put on her cap and apron, and return to the ward 
 before Sister Kate had time to miss her. This might 
 have been the case for Sister Kate had been very 
 much occupied with some anxious cases during the 
 afternoon had not one of the nurses, who had a spite 
 against Effie for being prettier and cleverer than her- 
 self, drawn Sister Kate's attention to the fact that 
 the young probationer was behind her time. This 
 nurse had seen Effie walking with Lawson. Imme- 
 diately her spirit of jealousy and envy was up in 
 arms; she did not for a moment consider what in- 
 jury she might do the poor girl by her false and un- 
 kind words. 
 
 "Nurse Staunton is late," she said. "I don't know 
 how I am possibly to get the ward in order for the 
 night unless I have some help." 
 
 "I must speak to her," said Sister Kate, glancing 
 at tne clock, and looking a little annoyed. "This
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 197 
 
 wasn't her Sunday to go out, either. I cannot let 
 the rules be broken in this way. Let me know as 
 soon as ever she comes in." 
 
 "I suppose there's some excuse to be made for her," 
 said the nurse, speaking in a knowing way. "She's 
 a very careful, good sort of girl, but there are times 
 'vhen the best of us forget ourselves." 
 
 The woman knew that Sister Kate would interpret 
 her words as she wished her to do. She went off in 
 i hurry to perform her duties, and when Erne en- 
 tered the ward Sister Kate received her with marked 
 coldness. 
 
 "You are very late, nurse," she said. "Where 
 have you been ?" 
 
 "I have been at home with my mother." 
 
 "Was your mother ill? Is that your excuse for 
 being behind your time ?" 
 
 "Ko; mother was well better than she has been 
 for some time." 
 
 "Then why are you late ?" 
 
 "The fact is, I was walking with a friend, and 
 forgot to notice the hour." 
 
 "That's no excuse. You have certainly behaved 
 rery carelessly, and have put the other nurses out
 
 198 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 by not being in time to take your duties. Who was 
 the friend with whom you were walking?" 
 
 Sister Kate had no right to ask this question, but 
 she felt much provoked at the moment, and the color 
 which rushed all over Effie's face excited her curi- 
 osity. 
 
 "Perhaps you'll think I did wrong," said Effie, 
 looking up at her almost defiantly. "The friend was 
 Mr. Lawson. He knows my brother very well ; he 
 was talking to me about him. I cannot refuse to 
 speak to him when I see him out of doors, can I ?" 
 
 "Don't be pert, nurse! You know it is one of 
 the strictest rules of the hospital that none of the 
 nurses are to speak to the medical students." 
 
 "I know ; and I don't wish to speak to him in the 
 hospital." 
 
 "See you don't, or you'll be dismissed at once; 
 in fact, the less you know of any of the medical 
 students the better for you. I am very sorry that 
 this young man knows your brother. I should not 
 have had anything to do with you had I been aware 
 of this fact." 
 
 "How absurd and unjust !" murmured Effie under 
 her breath. She turned away. She felt absolutely 
 cross.
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 199 
 
 Sister Kate called her back. 
 
 "Tow bustle about," she said. "The supper-trays 
 want to be taken away ; the women are perfectly tired 
 of waiting to be settled for the night." 
 
 Effie moved mechanically about her duties. Her 
 heart felt sick. She did not think she could remain 
 much longer under Sister Kate's care. "If she treats 
 me like this," thought the proud girl, "I cannot en- 
 dure it. Mr. Lawson is nothing to me he is only 
 my brother's friend. He is good, and wants to help 
 us in an hour of great perplexity. What shall I do ? 
 I feel tied and fettered in every way." 
 
 She laid her head on her pillow only to burst into 
 tears. She cried herself to sleep. All the world 
 seemed black to her.
 
 CHAPTER XVIII 
 
 EFFIE saw very little of Dorothy Fraser, but on 
 the following day, to her great surprise and pleasure, 
 as she was leaving the dining-hall, Dorothy came up 
 and spoke to her. 
 
 "You have a minute to spare," she said; "just 
 come out on this balcony and talk to me." 
 
 Effie obeyed her. 
 
 "What do you want with me, Dorothy ?" she asked. 
 
 "I wish to know why you look so pale and worried. 
 You seem to have displeased Sister Kate, too." 
 
 Effie very nearly burst into tears, but she restrained 
 herself. 
 
 "I'll tell you what it is," she said. "It is the most 
 unjust thing!" 
 
 She then mentioned in as few words as possible the 
 circumstance of Lawson having spoken to her of 
 her great anxiety about George and of her having 
 walked back with the young medical student from 
 her home on the previous evening. 
 200
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 201 
 
 Dorothy looked very grave while Effie was speak- 
 ing. 
 
 "It is unfortunate," she said. "This is just the 
 sort of thing that injures a girl at the commencement 
 of her hospital life." 
 
 "But it is so ridiculous and unjust," said Effie. 
 "What in the world can Mr. Lawson be to me ?" 
 
 "Oh, nothing, of course, my dear," replied Dor- 
 othy. "But still the rules cannot be too strict on 
 this point. You know I am not a prude, but all girls 
 are not like you, Effie ; and, in short, Sister Kate is 
 in the right. Some one must have seen you walking 
 back with Mr. Lawson, and must have told her, or 
 hinted, at least, at the state of the case. Nothing 
 else would have induced her to question you." 
 
 "She had no right to speak to me about acquain- 
 tances that I meet out of the hospital." 
 
 "Strictly speaking, she has no right ; that's why I 
 say she must have got a hint." 
 
 "Oh, well, never mind her," said Effie. "I won't 
 speak to Mr. Lawson again, unless I meet him out 
 of doors, where I can, and shall, whatever Sister 
 Kate may say." 
 
 "Effie, you must be careful."
 
 202 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 "I don't want to think of myself at all. Can't 
 you see how miserable I am about my mother and 
 about George?" 
 
 "Yes; it is a most wretched business. I am more 
 sorry for you than I can say." 
 
 "Oh, I wish something could be done !" said Erne. 
 "I feel tied and fettered here I feel almost wild. I 
 cannot devote myself to my necessary duties." 
 
 "Poor child !" said Dorothy in her caressing voice. 
 "Let me think ; I must help you in some way. Sup- 
 pose I go to-day to see your mother ? I had a chance 
 of having the whole afternoon to myself, but, as I 
 had nowhere in particular to go, was determining 
 not to avail myself of it; but now I can be of use 
 to you." 
 
 "Oh, Dorothy ! would you really go to see mother ? 
 It will be of the greatest possible use. You have 
 such tact you can say things that no one else would 
 venture to say; and then, if only you could see 
 George!" 
 
 "I'll take the thing up somehow," said Dorothy; 
 "you shan't be dragged and worried to death, you 
 dear, brave little girl. Give me a kiss, Effie, and go 
 back to your work. Between Mr. Lawson and me we 
 will pull you through this trouble, see if we don't."
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 203 
 
 "Do you know Mr. Lawson, Dorothy ?" 
 
 "Know him ! Of course I do. He is one of the 
 very nicest fellows here as good as gold, and as 
 steady as a rock, and with such a beautiful enthusi- 
 asm for his profession he'll make a splendid doctor 
 by and by. Yes, Effie, don't mistake me; it is not 
 the man I object to, it is the fact that he is a medi- 
 cal student and that you are a nurse. So many bad 
 things have been said about nurses and medical stu- 
 dents that all nurses worthy of the name have to make 
 up their minds to show the world that they can and 
 will nurse without even the thought of flirtation com- 
 ing into their head." 
 
 "You're right, of course," said Effie, with burning 
 cheeks. "But it's a shame, it's horrible! How can 
 any one think I wish to flirt ?" 
 
 She turned away she was obliged to go back to 
 her duties ; but her heart felt much lighter after her 
 conversation with Dorothy. 
 
 That afternoon Sister Kate, watch Effie as she 
 would, could find no fault with her. She was at- 
 tentive, tactful, kind and considerate; a little bit of 
 her old pleasant cheerfulness had also returned to 
 her ; her face looked less careworn.
 
 204 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 The faet is, she was leaning on Dorothy, and felt 
 the comfort of Dorothy's strong support. 
 
 The patients were only too glad for Effie to do 
 things for them ; and No. 47, who was very weak and 
 low, smiled whenever the girl approached her bed- 
 side. 
 
 "Hold my hand, love, whenever you have a min- 
 ute to spare," said the poor creature. "I feel low 
 like, awfully low; I am going down down, and it 
 supports me to hold your hand; you're a good girl, 
 any one can see that." 
 
 "I try to be," said Effie, tears springing to her 
 eyes. 
 
 "Ah, it's well to be good," continued the woman. 
 "When we come to lie as I'm lying now, we think a 
 sight of goodness." 
 
 "I hope you'll soon be better," said Effie. 
 
 "Never, my love; never again. I'm going out 
 that's what is happening to me ; it's a lonesome thing 
 to die, but I don't feel so lonesome when I'm holding 
 your hand." 
 
 Effie came to the poor creature as often as she 
 could. Once again the fascination of the life she so 
 dearly loved drew her out of herself, and enabled her 
 to forget the heavy home cares.
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 205 
 
 In her bedroom that night Sister Dorothy paid her 
 a visit. 
 
 "Well, Effie," she said, "I've news for you. Mr. 
 Lawson saw George last night. He spoke to him 
 quite frankly, and said that if he did not immediately 
 give over this awful gambling he'd go and see his 
 cousin, Mr. Gering." 
 
 "And what did George say ?" asked Effie. 
 
 "Oh, he promised as faithfully as possible that 
 he'd give it up. Mr. Lawson seemed quite pleased 
 with him, and said he didn't think he'd have been 
 so penitent and so easily influenced as he has been." 
 
 "But will he give it up ?" questioned Effie. 
 
 "He promised to. Of course he is anxious at not 
 being able to earn more money, for the foolish fel- 
 low encouraged your mother to be extravagant, and 
 now there are several debts which must be met some- 
 how. What's the matter with you, Effie ? Why do 
 you start?" 
 
 "How can I help it? Debts would kill mother. 
 Perhaps I ought to tell you, Dorothy you have been 
 so good to me, and I trust you so much that I don't 
 think it can be wrong to tell you any trouble which 
 concerns me."
 
 206 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 "No, of course it isn't. Speak out what is in you! 
 mind, Effie." 
 
 "Well, George was in trouble that time he came 
 to see father that time when father was dying. He 
 owed Mr. Lawson I can't tell you how, I can't tell 
 you why two hundred and fifty pounds. He said 
 that if the money were not paid back within six weeks 
 he, George oh, Dorothy! how can I say it? 
 would have to go to to prison! He said he must 
 have the money for our mother's sake. So I went to 
 see Squire Harvey, and he he lent it to me." 
 
 Dorothy sat down on the side of the bed. Effie's 
 story made her feel very grave. She paused for a 
 moment, puzzled what to say. 
 
 "He lent me the money," continued Effie, looking 
 straight at her friend with her bright eyes. "I know 
 he never wants it back again, but he must have it 
 back." 
 
 "Oh, yes ! he must have it back !" exclaimed Dor- 
 othy. 
 
 "Well, he lent it to me," continued Effie with a 
 sigh, "and I thought, of course, that George would 
 be all right after that, and I arranged that the squire 
 should have his interest regularly. I thought my 
 own salary would nearly cover that."
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 207 
 
 "It can't be done," interrupted Dorothy. "Your 
 salary barely pays for your washing and your few 
 out-of-pocket expenses. It's absolutely impossible 
 that you can live here without a penny; the little 
 you earn must go to yourself." 
 
 "Then there's nothing for it," said Effie ; "I must 
 go where I can earn more. I hate the thought be- 
 yond all words, but I must I must do it!" 
 
 "You don't mean to tell me that you would give 
 up your life as a nurse ?" 
 
 "Do you think for a moment, Dorothy, that I'd 
 give it up willingly ? It makes me sick to think of 
 relinquishing what has been my dream ever since I 
 was a little girl; but I see plainly that I must do 
 something to earn money to help mother; and then, 
 if George does keep straight, perhaps we may all be 
 happy some day." 
 
 Tears choked Effie's voice ; her eyes grew dim. 
 
 "What do you think of doing, dear ?" said Dorothy 
 in a gentle voice. 
 
 "I'll go to the Harveys and ask them to take me 
 as a governess for Freda. I fancy, somehow, that 
 they might be induced to give me a good salary 
 something like fifty or sixty pounds a year, and I can
 
 208 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 teach a child like Freda very well indeed, for father 
 saw that I was well educated. There's nothing else 
 for it, I can see that; but it breaks my heart, all the
 
 CHAPTER XIX 
 
 BOEOTHY talked a little longer to Effie. When 
 at last she left her the poor girl felt soothed and 
 strengthened. She dropped off to sleep, to dream 
 of the old days when she was living in the pretty lit- 
 tle cottage in Whittington, and when she longed so 
 earnestly to go out into the wide world. Effie woke 
 long before it was time to get up. She thought of 
 her dream, and sighed heavily to herself. She was 
 in the wide world now, with a vengeance. Did it look 
 as fair, as rose-colored, as fascinating, as it used to 
 look in her early dreams ? No ; the reality was bitter 
 enough. She would have given a great deal at that 
 heavy moment of her life to turn back the page and 
 be a child at home again. 
 
 The nurses' bell rang, and she got up quickly. Next 
 
 week she was to take her turn at night nursing. She 
 
 was getting on well, and notwithstanding the small 
 
 cloud which now existed between her and Sister Kate, 
 
 209
 
 210 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 Sister Kate knew Effie's value. There are nurses 
 and nurses. Many girls who go as probationers to 
 the great hospitals are thoroughly unsuited to the 
 life ; their qualifications are not those essential to the 
 good nurse ; they are destitute of tact, of presence of 
 mind, of that tenderness which can be firm as well 
 as gentle. But Erne was an ideal nurse ; her soft and 
 gentle ways, her kind yet firm glance, the cleverness 
 she showed, the tact she displayed, all proved to Sis- 
 ter Kate that the young probationer might one day 
 be a valuable help to her. She was angry with Erne 
 at present, but she was determined to leave no stone 
 unturned to help the girl and train her thoroughly 
 in her noble profession. 
 
 During that night Sister Kate had thought of Effie. 
 She had noticed her pale face during the past day, the 
 sadness in her eyes, the heaviness in her steps, and her 
 heart smote her a little, a very little. 
 
 "I don't believe that girl could do anything mean 
 or underhanded," she reflected. "Of course it is 
 tiresome that she should know any of the medical 
 students, but I believe I can trust her word that she 
 will never speak to this young man except out of 
 hospital/'
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 211 
 
 Accordingly, Sister Kate met Effie the next morn- 
 ing with much of her old pleasantness. Effie's sad 
 heart bounded again in her breast when Sister Kate 
 spoke kindly to her, and she went about her duties 
 with the determination not to leave even the smallest 
 matter undone. Thoroughly and carefully she went 
 through all the minutiae of those everlasting cleanings 
 and brushings. 
 
 At last her morning's work was over, and now 
 came the crucial moment when she must speak to 
 Sister Kate. The doctors had gone their rounds, the 
 patients were all settled for the morning. Effie came 
 up to Sister Kate in one of the corridors. 
 
 "Can you spare me a few moments of your time ?" 
 she asked. 
 
 The sister looked up at the tall clock in the pas- 
 sage. 
 
 "Do you want to see me about anything impor- 
 tant?" she asked. 
 
 "Yes, it is something important." 
 
 "Well, come into my private room; I can give 
 you five minutes." 
 
 Sister Kate sat down Effie stood before her. 
 
 "I'll try and tell you what I want as briefly as
 
 212 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 possible," she said. "I wish to know if I can be 
 spared to go out this afternoon ?" 
 
 "It is not your afternoon out. What do you 
 mean ?" 
 
 "I wouldn't ask if it wasn't necessary. The fact 
 is, there's great trouble at home, and I I must see 
 my mother, and perhaps I may have to make another 
 visit." 
 
 Sister Kate frowned. 
 
 "I don't wish not to sympathize with you, of 
 course," she said after a pause, "but the fact is, 
 nurses should detach themselves as much as possible 
 from home life. The nurse who really gives herself 
 up to her splendid calling has to try to forget that 
 she has a home. She has to remember that her first 
 duties consist in taking care of her patients and in 
 learning her profession." 
 
 "Then I can't be a nurse," said Erne, the color 
 rushing into her face. 
 
 Sister Kate looked at her and shook her head. 
 
 "I am very sorry," she said after a pause. "The 
 fact is, I had great hopes of you you have many of 
 the qualifications which go to make a splendid nurse ; 
 I won't recount them here. I had, as I said, great
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 213 
 
 hopes of you, but your words now make me fear that, 
 excellent as those qualifications are, they are over- 
 balanced." 
 
 "By what ?" asked Effie. 
 
 "By sentimentality by nervous overworry about 
 matters which you should leave in other hands." 
 
 "I have no other hands to leave them in ; the fact 
 is, home duties must always be first with me. I've 
 got a mother and several young brothers and sisters. 
 I am the eldest daughter. I cannot let my mother 
 suffer, even to indulge what has been for a long time 
 the great dream of my life. It is very probable that 
 I shall have to give up being a nurse." 
 
 "How can you ? You are engaged here for three 
 years." 
 
 "I must beg of the governors of the hospital to let 
 me off; the case is a special one the trouble under 
 which I am suffering is most unexpected. I fear, I 
 greatly fear, that I shall be obliged to leave the hos- 
 pital for a time." 
 
 "I am truly sorry to hear that," said Sister Kate. 
 "Does your friend, Miss Fraser, know of this ?" 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 "I hope it may not be necessary. As I said, you
 
 214 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 have the making of a good nurse in you. You want 
 to go away for a few hours ? Well, I'll try and man- 
 age it. Perhaps when you go home and see your 
 people you will find that it is unnecessary for you 
 to sacrifice yourself to this extent. Anyhow, you 
 can have from two till five to-day. ]STow go and finish 
 up your morning's work. Leave everything as much 
 in train for the afternoon as you can. You can stay 
 out from two till five. I hope you'll have good news 
 for me when you return." 
 
 "I hope I shall," said Effie; but her heart felt 
 low. She had little expectation of being able to con- 
 tinue the life which she longed to perfect herself in. 
 At two o'clock she went out, and did not take many 
 minutes in reaching her mother's door. 
 
 Mrs. Staimton looked surprised to see her. 
 
 "What is the matter, Effie ?" she said. "How white 
 and worn you look ! Why have you come back to- 
 day?" 
 
 "I wanted to see you, mother, so I got an afternoon 
 off duty. Sister Kate was kind I begged of her to 
 let me come. I have a great longing to see you." 
 
 "Well, my dear, I'm all right. The fact is, I get 
 better and better."
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 215 
 
 Mrs. Staunton was seated by the window. She 
 was making a pinafore for little Marjory ; her needle 
 flew in and out of the stuff. She was trimming the 
 pinafore with narrow lace. Effie took it up and sat 
 down by her mother. 
 
 "Your hands tremble, mother; are you really 
 well 2" 
 
 "Oh, yes, my love ; yes ! You look at me as if you 
 thought there was something the matter. Have 
 you Effie, your looks frighten me !" 
 
 "Don't let them frighten you, dear mother. You 
 know the greatest longing of my heart is to help and 
 serve you. If there is anything worrying you, you'll 
 tell me, won't you ?" 
 
 "I will," said Mrs. Staunton. She paused and 
 looked at her daughter. "There's nothing exactly 
 worrying me," she said after a pause, "but still I feel 
 a little bit anxious." 
 
 "You'll tell me, won't you ?" 
 
 "You won't scold me, Effie ?" 
 
 "As if I could, mother darling !" 
 
 "Well, perhaps I did a rash thing poor dear 
 George ! you know how devoted I am to him, Effie ?" 
 
 "Oh, yes, mother, darling; any one can see that."
 
 216 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 "Well, the fact is, I I yielded to his entreaties. 
 Perhaps I ought not to tell you, Effie perhaps it 
 will displease him." 
 
 "Yes, do tell me," said Effie. "There ought not 
 to be any secrets in one's family. I ought to know 
 I will know. You are worried about something, and 
 I will know what your burden is. What is it, 
 mother ?" 
 
 "I'll tell you in a few words. There's nothing in 
 it, after all. Shortly after you left us George per- 
 suaded me to put my money into the City Bank in 
 his name. He said it seemed such folly to have two 
 accounts for such very small sums." 
 
 "You did it ?" said Effie, her face turning white. 
 
 "Yes ! yes ! I knew you would reproach me. I 
 won't be reproached I won't !" 
 
 "I will not say a word, dearest, dearest mother. 
 Take my hand your hand does shake so. Now tell 
 me all about it." 
 
 "Oh, it's nothing, my love, really, only " 
 
 k "Yes, mother; only?" 
 
 "Only this morning I asked George to fill in a 
 check for me before he went to town. He did so. It 
 was for five pounds. He seemed vexed at my requir-
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 217 
 
 ing sc much, but I said I couldn't do with less, for 
 there was the landlady to pay, and the butcher has 
 been so troublesome with his bills. I couldn't do 
 with less than five pounds, and George drew a check 
 for me for that amount. I sent Aggie with it straight 
 to the bank, and " 
 
 Mrs. Staunton's face became very pale, her hand 
 shook more violently than ever. 
 
 "Yes, mother?" said Erne. 
 
 "They sent it back, Effie, with 'No effects' written 
 across the back. I am sure there must be a mistake, 
 but they told Aggie that George had overdrawn his 
 account, and that they couldn't cash this check there 
 were no effects, that was it." 
 
 "No effects!" said Effie, her face scarlet. "But 
 hadn't you some of your money still left in the bank ?" 
 
 "Yes, I had over fifty pounds. I put the money 
 into the bank in George's name over a week ago. It 
 was to last us for some time. Oh, Effie ! don't look 
 at me with those reproachful eyes ! I feel faint !" 
 
 Effie got up quickly; she poured some sal volatile 
 into a wineglass, and filling it up with water, brought 
 it to her mother to drink. 
 
 Mrs. Staunton was soon better. The passing weak- 
 ness went off quickly.
 
 218 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 ''What is to be done ?" she said, raising her eyes 
 to her daughter. "Oh, I am so glad you don't scold 
 me, Effie!" 
 
 "Of course I don't, mother darling. You must 
 have money ; you can't get on without it." 
 
 "That's just what I say. I am sure I am as sav- 
 ing as woman could be, but the expenses are so 
 heavy." 
 
 "Yes ; of course." 
 
 "I'm expecting George in every minute," said Mrs. 
 Staunton. "He has very likely put the money back 
 into the bank now. He is doing such a splendid busi- 
 ness that perhaps he drew the fifty pounds meaning 
 to return it at once. He has such a capital head for 
 making money really, I never knew such a boy. I 
 dare say he has put it back doubled." 
 
 "Oh, mother, don't you know better? How can 
 he do that ? But now let us talk of something else. 
 Here's Agnes! That's right, Agnes; will you get 
 some tea for mother ? She's quite weak and upset. 
 I'm going out. I must hurry, for I've to be back at 
 the hospital at five. I'm going out, but I'll come to 
 see you, mother, before I return to the hospital. Get 
 the tea, Agnes ; don't be long about it."
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 219 
 
 Agnes put a little kettle on the fire. 
 
 "Do you know about about the check ?" she asked 
 Effie in a whisper. 
 
 "Oh, yes ; don't make a fuss over it it will be all 
 right." 
 
 "Mrs. Robinson says she must be paid she is owed 
 four weeks' rent, and she won't let it go on any 
 longer." 
 
 "I'll see her when I come back," said Effie. "STow 
 do take care of mother. I won't be away a minute 
 longer than I can help." 
 
 "Won't you have a cup of tea, first, Effie ?" 
 
 "No ! no ! I've no time." 
 
 Effie ran downstairs and went out into the street. 
 She felt nerved and braced now. The moment of in- 
 decision was past the moment for definite action 
 had arrived. There was no question with regard to 
 her duty. It lay plain and straight before her. 
 
 She happened to know that the Harveys were in 
 town. They were staying in Eaton Place. She took 
 an omnibus, which presently brought her into the 
 neighborhood of Victoria ; a few minutes afterward 
 she rang the bell at their hall door. 
 
 A man-servant whom she did not know opened it.
 
 220 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 "Is Mrs. Harvey at home ?" asked Effie. 
 
 "I believe so," he replied, "but I'm not sure if 
 she can see any one." 
 
 "Perhaps she will see me if you give her my name," 
 said Effie in a gentle voice. "Say Miss Effie Staun- 
 ton, please, and that I am anxious to see her on press- 
 ing business." 
 
 The man withdrew, inviting Effie as he did so into 
 the hall. 
 
 "He takes me for a servant," she said to herself. 
 "Well, what matter ? That truly is only a pin-prick." 
 
 In a minute or two he returned with a changed ex- 
 pression on his face. 
 
 "Follow me upstairs, please, miss," he said. "My 
 mistress will see you." 
 
 Effie followed him up some low stairs her feet 
 sank into the rich carpets. The contrast between this 
 luxurious house and the severity of the hospital sick- 
 ened her. 
 
 "I shall choke if I live here," she said to herself. 
 But then she crushed all thought of self. 
 
 The man led her up two or three short flights of 
 stairs. At last he knocked at a door before which 
 a rich curtain hung. A voice said "Come in !" and
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 221 
 
 Effie found herself in Mrs. Harvey's presence. She 
 was seated in a deep armchair ; her maid stood before 
 her, holding out different rich brocades and silks 
 which had just been sent around for her to see. 
 
 "That will do, Carey," she said, when she saw 
 Effie. "You can take all those things away. Tell 
 Madame Miller that I have decided on this blue silk 
 crepon, and this rose-colored silk. I'll call around 
 to be fitted to-morrow morning. Now, Miss Staun- 
 ton, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. How do 
 you do ? I am so glad to see you." 
 
 Mrs. Harvey was not so impulsively glad as she 
 had been the last time she saw Effie. The doctor's 
 death the death he had died for her seemed re- 
 moved into the background; her existence was ab- 
 sorbed in pleasure, in gayety and excitement. She 
 had an affectionate, kindly nature, however, and one 
 glance into Effie's sad eyes softened her toward the 
 poor girl. 
 
 "Well, what can I do for you ?" she said. "How 
 are you ? Why, you are a nurse you are in nurse's 
 dress how capital ! What a splendid idea !" 
 
 "Yes, I am a probationer at St. Joseph's," said 
 Effie.
 
 222 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 "Oh, my dear child, that's splendid for you, of 
 course ; but I trust you have brought no infection in 
 your clothes." 
 
 "No," said Effie with the faintest of smiles. "I 
 have nothing to do with any of the infectious wards. 
 I am quite safe. I want to speak to you." 
 
 "I shall be very glad to listen to you, my dear. 
 You know, of course, that the squire and I take the 
 deepest interest in you and in your family. By the 
 way, how is your dear mother ? and how are all those 
 pretty girls and boys getting on ?" 
 
 Effie could not remember that Mrs. Harvey had 
 ever seen her mother why, therefore, should she 
 speak of her as "dear" ? And as to the boys and girls, 
 they were not specially remarkable for their good 
 looks ; and if they were, Mrs. Harvey knew nothing 
 about it. She answered these conventional inquiries 
 in a quiet voice. 
 
 "I hope you'll forgive me," she said at the first 
 possible pause, "but I am in a very great hurry. I 
 have promised to be back again at St. Joseph's at 
 five o'clock, and it's nearly four now. May I tell you 
 what I really came about ?" 
 
 "Oh, yes ; of course, of course !"
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 223 
 
 "Do you remember, before I came to London, the 
 very kind offer you and the squire made me ?" 
 
 "Of course," said Mrs. Harvey, "if you mean our 
 wish that you should become governess to little Freda. 
 But Freda goes to a kindergarten now. Carey takes 
 her around every morning, and Rhoda goes to fetch 
 her at dinner time. The life seems to suit her very 
 well. Of course we did wish for you very much, 
 but as you could not come oh, no doubt you have 
 chosen wisely." 
 
 Mrs. Harvey yawned; she stretched out her hand 
 and rang the bell. The servant appeared almost im- 
 mediately. 
 
 "Tea for two," she said, "and be quick, Andrewe." 
 
 "I can't wait for tea," said Effie, rising. "I am 
 very much obliged. I only came to say that circum- 
 stances would make me inclined to accept your offer 
 now ; but as you don't want a governess, there's noth- 
 ing more to be said." 
 
 "Oh, it's so sweetly good of you, Miss Staunton, 
 and had matters been different we should have been 
 pleased. Well, good-by, if you must go. Where did 
 you say your mother lived ?" 
 
 "A long way from here."
 
 224 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 "But do give me her address. I should be so 
 pleased to drive around and see her some day. Per- 
 haps she would go for a drive with me. What a good 
 idea ! Yes, I'll come. Where did you say you lived ?" 
 
 Effie had not said anything. 
 
 Mrs. Harvey held out her limp, long hand. "Good- 
 by, Miss Statinton. You know I take a great inter- 
 est in you," she exclaimed.
 
 CHAPTER XX 
 
 JUST at this moment the door was opened and the 
 squire came in. He was of different stuff from his 
 wife. When he saw Effie his face beamed with pleas- 
 ure, and he held out a big, hearty hand. 
 
 "Miss Staunton!" he exclaimed. "Why, this is 
 a pleasure ! Oh, you must not run away ; you must 
 sit down and tell me all about yourself I've been 
 longing to hear about you. How is your brother in 
 the city ? and your mother ? I do hope she is a lit- 
 tle better. And all those other lads and lassies ? Sit 
 down, my child, I insist on it I have lots of things 
 to say to you." 
 
 Mrs. Harvey, who was standing near the mantel- 
 piece, came gently forward when the squire began 
 to speak. She looked at Effie with new interest. Her 
 face was long and pale, she had no color in her lips, 
 her light hair was very fashionably dressed. She 
 wore a dress of the latest mode, and her thin fingers 
 225
 
 226 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 were loaded with rings, which flashed and shone 
 whenever she moved her hands. 
 
 Effie hated those flashing rings; she turned her 
 head so that she need not see them. 
 
 Mrs. Harvey began to talk in a high falsetto voice 
 to her husband. 
 
 "Do you know, my dear," she exclaimed, "that 
 Miss Staunton has just been so kind? She came 
 here to offer her services for Freda ; but you know 
 dear Freda is getting on so capitally at the kinder- 
 garten, that Why, what in the world is the 
 
 matter, Walter?" 
 
 "Matter !" exclaimed the squire in his hearty voice. 
 "Why, that we won't be such fools as to reject Miss 
 Staunton's offer. I was told only a few minutes 
 ago that that kindergarten is simply full of whooping- 
 cough and measles children sickening with them and 
 going home almost every day. I was going to say 
 that Freda must be moved." 
 
 "Oh, I should think so, indeed," said Mrs. Harvey. 
 "Whooping-cough and measles ! How terrible ! And 
 I never had whooping-cough why, I shouldn't be 
 able to go out for the whole season I I do hope and 
 trust the dear child hasn't contracted the infection.
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 227 
 
 Dear Miss Staunton, of course you'll come. It is 
 exactly what we'd like best. How soon can you come ? 
 To-morrow ? to-night ?" 
 
 "Neither to-morrow nor to-night," said Erne. "But 
 if you really wish for me, and if we agree as regards 
 terms, the day after to-morrow." 
 
 "What do you mean by saying if we agree as to 
 terms?" asked Mrs. Harvey. 
 
 "I want a big salary," said Erne, looking up brave- 
 ly at the two, who were watching her with half- 
 amused, half-anxious expression. "I want to come 
 to you and to leave the work which I love best be- 
 cause I hope you may be induced to give me an excep- 
 tional salary. I want the money because my mother 
 and my my young brothers and sisters are almost 
 at least they will be, if I don't get it, almost starv- 
 ing." 
 
 Erne spoke in jerks. She had the greatest diffi- 
 culty in keeping back her emotion. It was dreadful 
 to have to plead with these rich people these people 
 who knew nothing whatever of her sore need to 
 whom money was so plentiful as to have lost its fresh- 
 ness, its desirability, its charm. It was awful to look 
 into their faces to see the blank, non-comprehending
 
 228 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 stare which came into Mrs. Harvey's pretty blue eyes, 
 and to notice the puzzled expression on the squire's 
 face. 
 
 "You can't mean that !" he exclaimed. "You can't 
 mean there's any chance of that !" 
 
 "There is a chance of it, but not if I come here. 
 I know how kind you are, how noble you have been 
 to me. I'll come to Freda. I'll do everything for 
 her; I'll teach her, and I'll play with her, and I'll 
 love her, and I'll nurse her if she is ill but oh, do 
 please be generous, and give me as big a salary as 
 you can!" 
 
 "What do you expect ? What do you think fair ?" 
 asked the squire. 
 
 "I thought I know it seems a great deal but I 
 thought you might be willing to give me sixty pounds 
 a year." 
 
 "Bless you, my dear child !" exclaimed the squire. 
 "If you'll accept it, we'll give you a hundred and 
 fifty." 
 
 "Xo, I couldn't accept that," said Effie. "It is 
 not fair." 
 
 "Why not ? We couldn't get any one else to ex- 
 actly take your place for the money; and remember 
 we have plenty of money."
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 229 
 
 "I'll take a hundred a year, because I am in sore 
 distress," said Effie after a brief pause, "and and 
 will you pay me monthly, and may I have my first 
 month's salary in advance ? I wouldn't ask it if they 
 didn't want it terribly at home. Will you do this ?" 
 
 "Yes, with pleasure," said the squire. "I insist 
 on your accepting ten pounds a month that will be 
 one hundred and twenty a year. Now, will you have 
 a check, or shall I give you the money in gold and 
 notes?" 
 
 "The gold will be the most acceptable," said Effie. 
 "Oh, I feel so ashamed !" she added. 
 
 "Why should you? You give us an equivalent. 
 Besides, it makes matters more tolerable. I cannot 
 forget " 
 
 "Oh, don't, Walter! Don't allude to that awful 
 time!" cried Mrs. Harvey. 
 
 The squire shut up his lips. He took a little bun- 
 dle of gold out of one of his pockets and put ten 
 sovereigns into Effie's hand. 
 
 "It is a bargain," he said. "I cannot tell you how 
 relieved we are. You'll be with us the morning after 
 next ? Elfreda, my love, we must tell our little Freda 
 what a pleasure is in store for her."
 
 230 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 "Yes, I am more than delighted," exclaimed Mrs. 
 Harvey. "This plan suits me in every way. Ydu 
 won't fail us, Miss Staunton ? For in case Freda, 
 by any chance, has taken that awful whooping-cough, 
 you can keep her in isolation from the very first." 
 
 "Oh, yes," said Effie, smiling; "but I dare say 
 she is all right." 
 
 She shook hands with her new employers and left 
 the house. 
 
 The gold 'was in her pocket. She felt that she 
 had sold herself and her mission in life for ten sov- 
 ereigns. "It is the present need which makes the 
 thing so desperate," she said under her breath. "If 
 George has drawn all the money they have absolutely 
 nothing to live on ; but more will come in, and there's 
 this to go on with. We'll manage somehow now." 
 
 She returned to the lodgings, but before she went 
 upstairs she had an interview with the landlady. 
 
 "What do you charge my mother for rent?" she 
 asked. 
 
 "Well, Miss Staunton," exclaimed the woman, 
 "with the dinners and one thing and another, I am 
 obliged to make it a pound a week." 
 
 "That is a great deal too much," said Effie. "I
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 231 
 
 don't suppose it is too much for your rooms, but it is 
 more than we can afford just now. When we first 
 came to you, you agreed to let us the rooms without 
 attendance for fifteen shillings a week. We cannot 
 by any possible management afford to pay more." 
 
 "But Mrs. Staunton wished for attendance, miss 
 she said it made all the difference ; there was half a 
 crown for attendance, and half a crown extra for 
 kitchen fire." 
 
 "But the kitchen fire was included in the fifteen 
 shillings a week." 
 
 "Then there wasn't late dinner." 
 
 "Surely there is no late dinner now?" exclaimed 
 Effie. 
 
 "Oh, yes, miss. Every evening Mr. Staunton re- 
 quires a nice little bit of dinner sent up when he 
 comes home. You see, miss, it is quite impossible 
 for me to have extra fires without charging for them." 
 
 "Certainly. Well, I don't think there will be any 
 extra dinner in future. And now please tell me ex- 
 actly how much is due to you ?" 
 
 "Four pounds, miss; but if I'm paid one on ac- 
 count I shan't mind waiting. I'd be really sorry to 
 disoblige such a nice lady as your mother, Miss Staun- 
 ton."
 
 232 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 "Here is the money in full," said Effie. "Will 
 you give me a receipt ?" 
 
 "Oh, with pleasure, miss. Won't you sit down? 
 I hope, Miss Staunton, nothing will induce your good 
 mother to move from here. I will do everything in 
 my power to make her comfortable." 
 
 "You must understand," said Effie, "that in future 
 she only pays fifteen shillings a week without extras. 
 My sisters Agnes and Katie are quite old enough to 
 do all the waiting which my mother requires. In 
 fact, they must do so, for we can't afford to pay a 
 penny more." 
 
 "Am I to understand, miss, that there's no late 
 dinner ?" 
 
 "Certainly not," 
 
 "Very well. I am sure I'll do all in my power 
 to oblige." 
 
 Effie left her, putting her receipt carefully in her 
 pocket as she did so. She went upstairs and entered 
 the little sitting-room, where her mother was now 
 pacing quickly and restlessly up and down. There 
 was a deep flush on her cheeks and a look of despair 
 in her eyes. 
 
 "Oh, Effie, you've come!" she exclaimed the mo-
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 233 
 
 ment she saw her daughter. "George has been in. 
 There's something wrong, I know I know there is ! 
 He came in just for a minute, and he kissed me, and 
 said he wasn't coming home to-night, and he he 
 looked wild. He stuffed a few things into a bag, 
 and said I wasn't to expect him back to-night. I 
 didn't dare ask him about the money. What what 
 can be the matter, Effie 2"
 
 CHAPTER XXI 
 
 EFFIE did all in her power to soothe her mother. 
 It was past the hour for her return to St. Joseph's, 
 but under the present circumstances she could not 
 give this matter a thought. Mrs. Staunton was strung 
 up to a terrible condition of nervousness. She walked 
 faster and faster about the room ; she scarcely spoke 
 aloud, but muttered words under her breath which 
 no one could hear. At every footfall on the stairs 
 she started. Sometimes she went to the door and 
 flung it open ; sometimes she went to the window and 
 pressed her face against the glass. Darkness set in, 
 and the lamps were lit in the street. Katie went to 
 the window to pull down the blinds. 
 
 "No, don't touch them," said Mrs. Staunton fret- 
 fully. She still kept staring into the street. Pres- 
 ently she called Effie to her. 
 
 "Doesn't that man turning the corner look some- 
 thing like George?" she exclaimed. 
 234
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 235 
 
 Effie looked eagerly. 
 
 "No, that's not George," she said. 
 
 "Agnes, you have better sight," called Mrs. Staun- 
 ton to her next daughter; "come and watch with 
 me we are sure to see him soon. It can't be that 
 he has gone away for the night for the whole night ! 
 Isn't that him ? Look at that man that one crossing 
 the road that one in the waterproof ! Oh, how hard 
 it is raining ! If George is out much longer he'll be 
 drenched to the skin. Aggie, look; and you, Katie, 
 can't you watch ? Now, that man, isn't that George ?" 
 
 "No! no! mother!" answered the poor children 
 in affright. 
 
 Mrs. Staunton kept on making exclamations. Again 
 and again she cried out hopefully that surely George 
 was coming now ; but George himself never really ap- 
 peared. Effie knew that she would get into hopeless 
 disgrace at St. Joseph's. No matter; she could not 
 leave her mother at such a moment. Each instant 
 she became more anxious about her. She called 
 Agnes aside, and told her that she had put a stop to 
 the late dinner, and also to the extra attendance, but 
 as probably some dinner had been ordered for that 
 evening she had better go down and bring it up, as 
 Mrs. Staunton must be forced to eat at any cost.
 
 236 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 Agnes tripped out of the room, and presently re- 
 turned with a couple of pork chops and some baked 
 potatoes. She flung them down on the table, ex- 
 claiming that the tray was heavy. She looked cross, 
 and evidently seemed to think that Erne was making 
 a great fuss over nothing. 
 
 "Why can't George be away for a single night with- 
 out every one getting into such a state?" she mur- 
 mured. 
 
 Effie took the tray from her and gave her a look of 
 reproach. She laid the cloth herself, and made the 
 table look as pretty as she could. She then went to 
 her mother, drew her gently but firmly away from 
 the window, and making her sit down, tried to coax 
 her to eat. 
 
 Mrs. Staunton looked at the chops with dazed eyes. 
 
 "Those were for George !" she exclaimed. "What 
 a shame to bring them up before he has come into 
 the house ! They'll be cold and sodden, and he hates 
 his food sodden. You don't suppose I'm going to 
 touch my boy's dinner? No! ~Not II Put the 
 chops down in the fender, Aggie. When George 
 conies in I always ring the bell twice. How careless 
 of Mrs. Robinson ! Effie, my dear, I don't think we
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 237 
 
 can stop with her if she treats us in this fashion. 
 It's perfectly disgraceful to cook George's food before 
 he is ready for it." 
 
 Agnes began to explain that George was not com- 
 ing home, but Effie silenced her with a look. She 
 s&w, to her horror, that her mother's mind was be- 
 ginning to wander. She was really expecting George 
 who had not the faintest idea of coming back. Poor 
 Effie saw there was nothing for it but to humor her 
 mother. She put the food inside the fender, and 
 then, going to a davenport in a corner of the room, 
 wrote a hasty letter to Dorothy Eraser. 
 
 "We're in great trouble," she wrote. "I know you 
 can't come. I know it is absolutely impossible for 
 you to come, but neither can I go back to St. Joseph's 
 this evening. Please tell Sister Kate, Make any 
 excuse for me you like say anything that comes into 
 your head. My career as a nurse is ended." 
 
 A big tear dropped from Effie's eyes as she wrote 
 these last words. She folded up the letter and gave 
 it to Agnes. 
 
 "Agnes," she said, "you must take this at once 
 to St. Joseph's Hospital." 
 
 "Oh, I don't know how to get there," said Agnes, 
 "and I was never out so late before in the evening/'
 
 238 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 "I am sorry to have to send you stay, you had 
 better take Katie with you. It would be better for 
 the two of you to be together. Put on your hats ai*d 
 your warm jackets ; don't be longer away than you 
 can help you have just to give this note to the hall 
 porter and come straight back. You must take the 
 red omnibus that goes along Oxford Street, and " 
 
 Effie added a few more practical directions. Ag- 
 nes' eyes sparkled at the thought of a little variety in 
 her dull life. Katie ran willingly into her room to 
 fetch her own and her sister's hats and jackets. They 
 were dressed in a very short time. Effie heard them 
 running downstairs, and listened to the slam of the 
 hall door. She had now set the irrevocable seal to 
 her own act. She had deliberately turned her back 
 on the life that she loved. She stood for a moment 
 with a dizzy feeling in her head, then with a little 
 prayer which she sadly needed to help her, she put 
 aside all regret, and turned with a brave heart to face 
 the dark present and the gloomy future. 
 
 Mrs. Staunton stood near the window with her 
 back to her daughter. Effie listened with a sick heart 
 to her mutterings. She knew that her mother could 
 not possibly get better if she refused to eat.
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 239 
 
 She was wondering what to do, and how she could 
 dare to leave her, when a quick step was heard run- 
 ning up the stairs, and the next moment Fred Lawson 
 came in. 
 
 Effie never to her dying day forgot the feeling of 
 relief, of almost joy, which ran through her heart 
 when she saw his clever, resolute face. He came in 
 in his usual quick, brisk, determined way, stopped 
 short a little when he saw her, and then glanced sig- 
 nificantly at her mother. 
 
 Mrs. Staunton had turned as eagerly as Effie when 
 she heard the quick footsteps. Now her face was an 
 absolute blank ; she had come a step forward ; her 
 hands suddenly fell to her sides. 
 
 "My mother is not well," said Effie. "She's up- 
 set." 
 
 "No, I'm not upset ; you're greatly mistaken," said 
 Mrs. Staunton. "Why should I be upset ? There's 
 not a happier woman in Christendom than I am. It's 
 true my beloved husband has left me, but then I have 
 got my boy there never was a braver boy. How 
 do you do, Mr. Lawson? Pray forgive me for not 
 shaking hands with you when you came into the 
 room the fact is, I have been expecting George. His
 
 240 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 dinner is in the fender. The landlady did very 
 wrong indeed to send it up before I rang for it. I 
 always ring twice for George's dinner, don't you un- 
 derstand ? It is a good plan. George likes his meals 
 hot and tasty. No wonder he earns them ; he is 
 a dear, good, clever fellow he is getting a fine sal- 
 ary. Did you happen to meet him on the stairs ? 
 Perhaps you passed him he is a little late, just a 
 little late. Effie, can you tell me if Mr. Lawson has 
 good sight ? If he has, perhaps he'll come and watch 
 by the window. I'm watching, but my eyes are a lit- 
 tle weak at times. I might not see George when he 
 is really there. Will you come and see, Mr. Lawson ? 
 He ought to be coming now, my dear boy my dear- 
 est, my boy !" 
 
 Lawson gave Effie a glance. In a moment he read 
 the true position. The poor, weak brain had sud- 
 denly given way. He went up gently to Mrs. Staun- 
 ton and took one of her hot hands in his. 
 
 "When George comes in," he said, "I'll be here, 
 and I'll tell him about his dinner. I know he'll be 
 late to-night, and you mustn't wait up for him any 
 longer. Come, Miss Effie will put you into bed. 
 When you are in bed I'll give you something to make
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 241 
 
 you sleep. Come, now; don't delay; you're quite 
 worn out. If you don't go to bed you'll be ill, and 
 then you'll be of no use to your son." 
 
 "Do you really think so?" said Mrs. Staunton. 
 "Yes, I mustn't be ill ; George doesn't like it it quite 
 frets him. He is not like his dear father. He wants 
 a cheerful home no wonder, he is young, dear lad; 
 he is young. Yes, I'll go to bed, and then I'll be 
 all right in the morning. Come, Effie, help your 
 mother to bed." 
 
 Effie took the poor woman out of the room. They 
 went into the little bedroom. She helped her mother 
 to undress. When she saw her lay her head on the 
 pillow she went back to the sitting-room, where Law- 
 son was quietly standing. 
 
 "I happened, most fortunately," he said the mo- 
 ment he saw her, "to have some packets of bromide 
 in my pocket. There is sal volatile in the room. I 
 have made up a rather strong composing draught for 
 your mother. If she takes it she will sleep peacefully 
 and will not be likely to wake until the morning. 
 Give it to her at once, and then come back to me. I 
 have something to tell you." 
 
 Effie's trembling knees could scarcely support her 
 IBJJ ke scent back to the next room.
 
 2 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 "Has George come yet ?" asked the mother. 
 "Not yet, mother. Won't you take this m- /iicine, 
 
 "Yes, my love, yes. Effie, you are a very good 
 girl a great comfort to me, my darling. I'm glad 
 you never went to the hospital ; it was a mad, foolish 
 scheme, and George never liked it. You are a great 
 comfort to me, and a great comfort to your dear 
 brother. You'll be sure to give him his dinner com- 
 fortably when he comes back, Effie ?" 
 
 "Yes, mother, yes. Now do go to sleep, dear 
 mother." 
 
 Mrs. Staunton drank off the medicine, laid her 
 head on the pillow, and closed her dim, dark eyes. 
 Effie watched by her until she thought she was drop- 
 ping asleep. Pretty little Marjory was lying sound 
 asleep in the same bed. Phil opened his big eyes as 
 his sister passed. 
 
 "Is anything the matter ?" he whispered. "Is any- 
 thing wrong with George?" 
 
 "Pray for him, Phil," said Effie, tears suddenly 
 filling her eyes. 
 
 "Yes ! yes !" said the little fellow. "I always do." 
 
 Effie went into the next room.
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 243 
 
 "You have plenty of pluck, haven't you?" said 
 Lawson when he saw her. 
 
 "I hope so I had need to have." 
 
 "Yes, I know that. Well, that unfortunate boy 
 has put his foot in it at last. He is in trouble de- 
 tectives are after him." 
 
 "Detectives after George !" exclaimed Effie. "What 
 can you possibly mean ? Oh, do tell me at once 
 don't leave me in suspense !" 
 
 "Sit down, and I w 7 ill tell you. Try not to agitate 
 yourself ; try to listen to me quietly. Remember that 
 a brave woman can always control her nerves." 
 
 Effie sat down when Lawson bade her. Something 
 in his quiet but resolute voice soothed her impatience ; 
 she looked up at him as he stood by the mantelpiece, 
 resting one arm on it. 
 
 "The facts are these," he began at once. "Staun- 
 ton has been going wrong for a long time " 
 
 "I know it I know it well," interrupted Effie. 
 
 "Yes, I feared that you knew it. Poor fellow! 
 Soon after his arrival in London he got with bad 
 companions. He has naturally extravagant tastes. 
 They introduced him to some of those gambling sa- 
 loons. Given a weak nature, the love of money for
 
 244 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 the pleasure it can give, a will weakened by self- 
 indulgence, and the result is easy to forecast. George 
 has been going from bad to worse for months past. 
 He has sometimes won considerable sums of money, 
 and these successes have excited him to try again 
 with this devil's luck, as the saying is. Of late, how- 
 ever, that luck has turned against him, and the events 
 which took place to-day are only the natural conse- 
 quences." 
 
 Effie rose slowly from her seat. 
 
 "Go on," she said, coming up to Lawson. "What 
 took place to-day ? Go on, please. I am quiet I am 
 prepared for anything." 
 
 Lawson gave her a look of admiration. 
 
 "You are a brave girl," he said briefly. "The 
 world would be a better place if there were more 
 like you in it. Well, what took place is this. Staun- 
 ton won heavily at cards the night before last. Not 
 content with his gains, however, he persevered until 
 the luck turned against him. Before he left the gam- 
 bling saloon he had lost all his gains and was in debt 
 fifty pounds. To meet that debt he drew your moth- 
 er's money from the bank yesterday morning." 
 
 "I know," said Effie with white lips, "mother told
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 245 
 
 me. She sent Agnes to the bank to cash a small check. 
 Agnes was told that George's account was overdrawn. 
 Yes, I know that. Is there more behind? Surely, 
 that must be the worst !" 
 
 "Alas ! I wish it were. This morning the poor 
 fellow, while engaged in his duties at Gering's office, 
 met with the temptation for which he was so ripe. 
 It was a horrible one. He knew that your mother 
 had not a penny. His feeling for her I need not 
 enter upon. He found himself in the room with an 
 open till, and took fifty pounds out of it. Soon after- 
 ward he made an excuse to leave the office. He wan- 
 dered about all day in an indescribable state of mis- 
 ery. At last he summoned courage to go to the bank 
 and deposit forty-five of the fifty pounds. He then 
 rushed home, and packing his things, prepared to run 
 away. He said he was certain to be taken if he 
 stayed, and simply could not bring himself to face 
 the risk. He went to Waterloo, and to his horror 
 discovered th^t he was watched. A man, undoubted- 
 ly a detective in plain clothes, was following him 
 from place to place. The man watched him take his 
 ticket for Southampton, and noticed the corner in 
 which he deposited his bag, in a third-class carriage.
 
 246 A GIRL IX TEN THOUSAND 
 
 George seemed to lose hi? head at this crisis. He 
 managed to elude the detective, slipped out of the sta- 
 tion, took a hansom and drove straight to my rooms. 
 Luckily, I was at home. He made a clean breast of 
 everything to me. He is in my rooms now, and safe 
 for the time being, for no one will think of looking 
 for him there. I want you to come with me at 
 once to see him, for there is not a moment to be lost 
 in deciding what is best to be done." 
 
 "Yes," said Erne, "I will come." 
 
 She felt stunned; her keenest feelings of anguish 
 were lulled into momentary quiet by the greatness of 
 this blow. 
 
 "I will write a note to Agnes," she said. "She is 
 out I had to send her to the hospital to say that 
 I could not return there to-night." Then she added, 
 her face turning whiter than ever, "If my mother 
 knows of this it will kill her." 
 
 "Your mother is the person to be considered, of 
 course," said Lawson. "But for her, I should say 
 that the best thing possible for George would be to 
 undergo the punishment which he merits. As it is, 
 however, matters are different. Well, write your 
 note, and let us be quick. That strong opiate will
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 247 
 
 keep your mother sleeping quietly until the morning. 
 All your sister has to do is to watch her." 
 
 Effie drew a sheet of paper toward her, scribbled 
 a few hasty lines on it, folded it up, and left it where 
 Agnes could see it the moment she returned ; then 
 she followed Lawson into the street. 
 
 He hailed a passing hansom, and they drove 
 straight to his rooms on the Embankment. 
 
 The feeling of a dream remained with Effie all dur- 
 ing that drive ; she kept rubbing her eyes and saying 
 to herself, "It's only a dream I shall awaken pres- 
 ently, and find myself back at St. Joseph's." 
 
 The hansom drew up at the lodgings, and Lawson 
 preceded Effie upstairs. He threw open the door of 
 his little sitting-room. 
 
 "Come in," he said. "Here is your sister, Staun- 
 ton !" he sang out. 
 
 Effie entered. She found herself in a small, bright 
 room. The gas was turned full on; one of the win- 
 dows was open a fresh breeze from the river came 
 in. George was seated on a horsehair sofa at the 
 farthest end of the room. He held a small walking- 
 stick in his hand, and was making imaginary patterns 
 with it on the carpet. His shoulders were hitched up
 
 248 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 to his ears, his eyes were fixed on the ground. Effie 
 looked at him. She said : 
 
 "George, I am here I have come." 
 
 He did not make any response. She gave a little 
 cry when he took no notice of her, and sank down 
 helplessly on the nearest chair. 
 
 Lawson strode across the room and grasped 
 George's shoulder. 
 
 "Look here, Staunton," he said, "you have got to 
 pull yourself together. I have brought your sister 
 here to consult what is best to be done. Look up, 
 old chap! Take courage all isn't lost yet. Now 
 try and tell your sister everything." 
 
 "I have nothing to tell her," said George. He 
 raised two lackluster eyes and fixed them with a sort 
 of dull stare on Lawson's face. 
 
 "Don't talk folly ! You have to tell her what you 
 told me. You know the position you are in you 
 may be arrested at any moment. No one can help 
 you but your sister. Don't turn away from her." 
 
 "Oh, I understand all that," said George, shrug- 
 ging his shoulder out of Lawson's grip. "I know 
 well enough what has happened. I I can't help it 
 I have nothing to say."
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 249 
 
 Lawson looked at the big fellow almost in despair. 
 He was really puzzled what to do. This was the 
 moment, however, for Effie to take the initiative. She 
 sprang suddenly to her feet, dashed the tears from 
 her eyes, and went up to her brother. She fell on 
 her knees by his side and put her soft arms around 
 his neck. 
 
 "Think of the old days, Geordie," she said, "when 
 we were both little children. Think of mother and 
 father, and the little old house, and the apple-tree in 
 the garden. Don't you remember the day when that 
 ripe red apple fell, and we ate it bite about ?" 
 
 When Effie began to speak George trembled. He 
 avoided her eyes for a moment longer, then he gave 
 her a quick, furtive glance. 
 
 "I couldn't help it, Effie," he said suddenly in a 
 changed voice. "Before God, I couldn't help it !" 
 
 Lawson stepped softly out of the room. 
 
 The moment he had done so George said eagerly: 
 
 "He has told you, hasn't he ?" 
 
 Effie nodded. 
 
 "Then I needn't go over it. Let's talk of some- 
 thing else. How is mother ?" 
 
 "She is very ill indeed. She watched for you all 
 the evening."
 
 250 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 "Watched for me? But I told her I shouldn't 
 be back to-night." 
 
 "Yes ; but she didn't believe you, or she forgot it. 
 Anyhow, she watched for you, and when you didn't 
 come, her mind began suddenly to wander. She is 
 in bed now. She is very, very ill." 
 
 "Go on/' said George. "Hammer it in hard I 
 deserve it all." 
 
 "Oh, George ! Why will you talk like that ? Don't 
 you believe in my love for you ?" 
 
 "I believe in mother's love. It's the only thing 
 I have left to cling to. I believe she'd go on loving 
 me even after this I do, truly." 
 
 "Of course she would. Nothing could turn her 
 love from you. Now won't you let us consult together 
 when Mr. Lawson comes into the room ?" 
 
 "There's nothing to be done nothing. I'm per- 
 fectly safe to be committed for trial, and then I shall 
 get at least two years. Mother will die. And I shall 
 have gone under forever." 
 
 "Nonsense ! I have a thought in my head." 
 
 "You?" George spoke almost with contempt. 
 "You always thought a great deal of yourself, Effie, 
 but evei) you can't pull the ropes on the present oe
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 251 
 
 easion. I'm a thief, and I must suffer the penalty. 
 That's the long and short of it." 
 
 Effie rose suddenly and walked to the door. She 
 called Lawson. He came in at once. 
 
 "I think George will talk over matters now," she 
 said. "But before we begin any discussion I wish 
 to say what I have made up my mind to do. I don't 
 know Mr. Gering, but that does not matter. I mean 
 to go to see him the first thing to-morrow morning 
 and beg of him not to prosecute George. That is the 
 only chance for mother's life, and I mean to try it"
 
 CHAPTER XXII 
 
 WHEN Effie said these words Lawson gave her a 
 startled glance, and George's sulkiness seemed to van- 
 ish magically. He opened his lips as if to speak, 
 then closed them again ; a rush of color spread over 
 his face, and he turned his head aside. 
 
 "I fear it is impossible that you can do the least 
 vestige of good, Miss Staunton," said Lawson. "All 
 the same, it is a brave thought, and worthy of you." 
 
 George looked around when Lawson said this. He 
 fully expected Effie to explain herself more fully, to 
 argue the point, and to give her reasons for approach- 
 ing Mr. Gering. To the surprise of both the men, 
 however, she was silent. After a little pause she said, 
 turning to Lawson : 
 
 "Do you think George will be safe here until the 
 morning ?" 
 
 "I do perfectly safe," answered Lawson. 
 
 "Then I will say good-night. I will come to you, 
 George, if I have news, in the morning.'' 
 252
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 253 
 
 "Oh, you won't have news," replied George. 
 "There never was such a hard nut to crack as old 
 Gering." 
 
 Effie made no reply. 
 
 "Good-night," she said to her brother. 
 
 He did not offer to kiss her, but he took her hand 
 and gave it a silent squeeze. It seemed to Effie then 
 that she got near his heart. 
 
 Lawson took her downstairs and put her into a 
 cab. 
 
 "You are only wasting your time in going to Mr. 
 Gering," he said, as he stood for a moment at the 
 cab door. 
 
 "I must waste it, then," replied Effie, "for what- 
 ever the consequences, I am going." 
 
 "Then, if you will go, you had better do so early. 
 Gering is always at his office by nine o'clock. George 
 may quite possibly be arrested to-morrow morning 
 and brought before the magistrates at Bow Street at 
 ten, or ten-thirty. When once he is arrested, Mr. 
 Gering can do nothing. The law then takes up the 
 case, and prosecutes on its own account. You will 
 see, therefore, that if you wish to save your brother 
 you must be astir betimes."
 
 254 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 "I quite see, and thank you very much," said 
 Effie. 
 
 Lawson said good-by, the cab rolled away, and 
 Effie soon found herself back again at her own lodg- 
 ings. 
 
 She ran upstairs, to find that her mother was still 
 sound asleep. She sent the two tired girls to bed, 
 and, lying down on the sofa in the sitting-room, tried 
 to sleep. She had left her mother's door slightly 
 ajar, and knew that she would hear the least move- 
 ment in the room. All was perfect stillness, however, 
 and presently Effie fell into a light doze. 
 
 She awoke long before the dawn of day, thought 
 carefully over the whole complex situation, and then 
 arose and dressed herself. She slipped softly into 
 her mother's room. The opiate was still taking ef- 
 fect. Mrs. Staunton's face looked pinched and drawn 
 as it lay on the pillow, there were blue lines under 
 the eyes, and a blue tint around the lips, which spoke 
 of heart trouble; but just at the present moment 
 the spirit was at peace, and the body resting calmly. 
 
 "Poor mother !" murmured Effie. "Poor, tried, 
 faithful heart ! If you really knew what I know, you 
 could not survive the shock. Oh, George! Who
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 255 
 
 could have thought of this who remembered you in 
 the old days? Yes, I will do what I can to save 
 mother and to rescue you. It is true that I am only 
 a weak girl, but sometimes girls like me have power. 
 I will not be afraid. I will go now, to exercise all 
 the power that is in me." 
 
 Effie left the room; she went to the one where 
 her sisters slept, changed her dress and washed her- 
 self, and then waking Agnes, to tell her to be sure 
 to look after her mother, she ran downstairs. 
 
 The landlady, Mrs. Robinson, met her in the pas- 
 sage. 
 
 "Why, surely, Miss Staunton," she said, "you are 
 not going out on a raw, foggy morning like this with- 
 out breakfast ?" 
 
 "Oh, I can't wait for breakfast!" exclaimed Effie. 
 
 "I have some tea in my sitting-room do come in, 
 and let me give you a cup, miss. Do, now you're 
 so white, you look as if you'd drop." 
 
 "Thank you," said Effie after a slight pause. "I 
 should be very glad of a cup of tea," she added. 
 
 The landlady bustled her into her little sitting- 
 room, seated her by the fire, and would not leave 
 her alone until she had swallowed a cup of tea and 
 a piece of toast.
 
 356 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 ( "I'm all the better for the tea/' said Effie. "Thank 
 you very much." 
 
 The unlooked-for kindness cheered the poor girl ; 
 she looked upon it as a good omen. She walked 
 quickly up the narrow street which led into the larger 
 thoroughfare, and was soon on her way to Mr. Ger- 
 ing's office in Leadenhall Street. 
 
 She arrived there just as the clock was striking 
 nine. She did not allow herself even to feel ner- 
 vous, but walking boldly in, asked to see Mr. Gering 
 at once. 
 
 "Have you an appointment with him V asked the 
 clerk whom she addressed. 
 
 "No ; but I hope he will see me without that My 
 business is very pressing." 
 
 ''What is your name, miss ?" 
 
 "Staunton." Effie hesitated for a minute, then she 
 said abruptly : "I am the sister of George Staunton, 
 who is a clerk here." 
 
 The moment she uttered the words every clerk in 
 the place looked up with interest, and one, coming 
 up in a somewhat familiar way, said cavalierly: 
 
 "I don't think there's the least use in your trou- 
 bling Mr. Gering. I may as well tell you beforehand 
 that he certainly won't see you."
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 257 
 
 At this moment a man came out of an inner room. 
 He spoke to the head clerk, who gave him a bundle 
 of letters. 
 
 "Take these to Mr. Gering at once," he said. 
 
 Effie followed this man with her eyes. 
 
 The other clerks stared at her, expecting her to go. 
 
 8he looked at the one to whom she had first spoken. 
 
 "Will you take my message to Mr. Gering?" she 
 said. "Will you tell him that Effie Staunton 
 George Staunton's sister wishes to see him on most 
 important business ?" 
 
 There was much distress in her tone, but withal 
 such firmness, that the clerk could not help looking at 
 her with admiration. 
 
 "I would gladly take your message, Miss Staunton, 
 but it would be useless. I know beforehand that noth- 
 ing will induce Mr. Gering to see you." 
 
 "He must see me," replied Effie in a firm voice. 
 "If no one here will be polite enough to take him 
 my message, I will go to him myself." 
 
 Before one of the clerks could prevent her, Effie 
 walked across the large room, opened the door where 
 the clerk who took Mr. Gering his letters had van- 
 ished, and found herself the next moment in a hand-
 
 258 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 somelj furnished room, where a portly old gentleman 
 was seated at a desk. 
 
 He looked up in unfeigned astonishment when he 
 saw a pretty girl standing near the door. 
 
 As she did not speak for an instant, he raised his 
 voice with an inquiry. 
 
 "May I ask what you are doing here ?" he asked. 
 
 "I have corne to speak to you about my brother," 
 said Effie. 
 
 "Your brother! What do you mean? Who is 
 your brother?" 
 
 "George Staunton." 
 
 "Then, Miss Staunton, let me tell you that you 
 have taken a great liberty in coming to see me. You 
 have forced your way into my room unannounced. 
 I must ask you to have the goodness to retire as 
 quickly as you came. If you do not leave my room 
 this moment I shall be forced to compel you to go." 
 
 "No, you will not," said Effie. "Xo, that is not 
 like you. You would not willingly be unkind to a 
 suffering and innocent girl when she forces herself, 
 against her true inclinations, against her real mod- 
 esty, to seek an interview with you. I come in great 
 sorrow and despair, and you are not the man who
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 250 
 
 will treat me roughly I don't fear it. You like to 
 say harsh words, but your heart is not harsh. I beg 
 of you, therefore, to listen to my story. I will not 
 keep you long." 
 
 "You are a very queer, courageous sort of girl," 
 said Gering after a pause. "As you have come, I 
 suppose I may as well listen to you ; but please un- 
 derstand at once that I have no mercy for your broth- 
 er; that his career here is ended." 
 
 "That is only just and right. I have not come to 
 plead with you to take George back I know that 
 that would be asking too much. What I have come 
 to say I can say in a very few words." 
 
 "They must be very few if you expect me to leave 
 my business to attend to them." 
 
 Effie came close to where Mr. Gering was seated. 
 He did not rise, nor motion her to a chair. At this 
 moment the clerk who had refused to take her mes- 
 sage entered the room. 
 
 "Leave us for a moment, Power," said Mr. Gering. 
 The man withdrew immediately. 
 
 "Thank you," said Effie. Then she added abrupt- 
 ly: "I won't keep you a moment. I will tell you 
 quite simply what I want. My brother George has 
 behaved very badly."
 
 260 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 "To put it plainly," interrupted Mr. Gering, "your 
 brother George is a scoundrel !" 
 
 "You may call him any names you please," said 
 Effie ; "I have not come here to defend him. I know 
 that he stole fifty pounds from you yesterday." 
 
 "Oh, you know that, do you ?" 
 
 "Yes. Forty-five pounds of that money he put 
 into the City Bank in my mother's name. That forty- 
 five pounds you can have back within an hour. We 
 shall then be in your debt five pounds, which I want 
 you to let me pay you back. I have just secured a 
 very good situation as a governess, and am to be in 
 receipt of one hundred and twenty pounds a year. I 
 can pay you back the money in about a month's time 
 out of my own salary." 
 
 "You are very conscientious," said Mr. Gering 
 with a slight sneer, "and I shall be glad to have my 
 money back. If that is all your business, perhaps 
 you will leave me." 
 
 "No, it is not all my business. I want you to for- 
 give George not to prosecute him not to give him 
 up to the law." 
 
 "Ah ! I thought that was coming. And why, pray, 
 should I not prosecute the young rascal ? Don't you 
 think he richly deserves punishment ?"
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 261 
 
 "Honestly, I do." 
 
 When Effie said this Mr. Gering's eyes twinkled 
 for the first time. 
 
 "Eh! eh!" he exclaimed. "I am glad we're of 
 one mind on that point. We both doubtless believe 
 that punishment would be good for him." 
 
 "We do," 
 
 "Then why deprive him of anything so beneficial ?" 
 
 "Because of my mother." 
 
 "Your mother ! Is there a mother in the case ?" 
 
 "There is a mother who lies now at the point 
 of death. Let me tell you her story." 
 
 "I haven't read my letters yet, Miss Staunton." 
 
 "Oh, never mind your letters! Let me tell you 
 about my father and my mother. Four months ago 
 my father was alive. He was a country doctor. He 
 was very good every one loved him. He caught 
 diphtheria, and died. My mother has heart disease, 
 and my father felt sure that the shock of losing him 
 would kill her. He loved her most tenderly. When, 
 he lay dying he was certain that God would allow 
 them both to leave the world together. My mother 
 was kneeling by his bedside, and George, my brother, 
 knelt there, too. And my brother said, 'Don't take
 
 262 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 mother away, father' ; and then father said to moth- 
 er, 'Stay with George.' At that moment something 
 strange must have happened all my mother's great 
 love seemed suddenly directed into a new channel. 
 Her love for George since that moment has been the 
 passion of her life. He was not strong-minded." 
 
 "No, indeed," interrupted Mr. Gering. 
 
 "No; and he yielded to temptation and got into 
 trouble, and and lost money. But all the time my 
 mother has been imagining that he is the best and 
 steadiest fellow in London. She lives in a sort of 
 golden dream about him. If she learns the truth she 
 will certainly die, and George will be lost. He will 
 then, as he himself expresses it, 'go under' forever. 
 He won't be able to stand the thought that through hid 
 sin and weakness he has killed his mother." 
 
 "I should hope not," interrupted Mr. Gering. 
 
 "Therefore I want you to forgive him it is your 
 duty." 
 
 "My duty, child ! What right have you to come 
 and talk to me about my duty?" 
 
 "Every right, if I can only make you perform it." 
 
 "You are either impertinent or very brave, young 
 lady. I was never spoken to in this strain before."
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 263 
 
 "Well, you see it is a matter of life and death," 
 said Effie. "I can't mince words when life and death 
 hang in the balance." 
 
 "You're a queer girl a queer girl ; I don't know 
 what to make of you. 'Pon my word, I'm sorry for 
 that mother of yours poor soul! poor soul! It's a 
 pity she didn't bring up her son as conscientiously 
 as she did her daughter. Now, you wouldn't have 
 taken fifty pounds out of my till ?" 
 
 "No," said Effie. 
 
 "I wish you were a boy I'd give you that lad's 
 place within an hour." 
 
 "Thank you, but I don't think I should care to 
 have it. Will you come now and do your duty ?" 
 
 "Come ! Where am I to come ?" 
 
 "To see George." 
 
 "The rascal! Where is he?" 
 
 "I'll take you to him." 
 
 "Do you know that you are bullying me in the most 
 shameful way, Miss Staunton ?" 
 
 "I know that you have a very kind heart," an- 
 swered Effie. 
 
 At this moment the room door was opened and 
 Power came in again.
 
 264 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 "Mr. Fortescue has called, sir." 
 
 "Tell Mr. .Fortescue that I can't see him." 
 
 "And Ford has sent around about that shipping 
 
 order. When can you give him his answer?" 
 "Some time this afternoon." 
 "But they want it this morning." 
 "Well, they can't have it. I'm going out for a bit. 
 
 Come along, Miss Staunton; we can't let the grass 
 
 grow under our feet"
 
 CHAPTER XXHI 
 
 THERE come moments in the lives of all of us when 
 we feel as if a restraining and powerful hand were 
 pulling us up short. We have come to a full stop; 
 we cannot go back, and we do not know how to pro- 
 ceed. These full stops in life's journey are generally 
 awful places. We meet there, as a rule, the devil 
 and his angels they tear us and rend us, they shake 
 us to our very depths with awful and overpowering 
 temptation; if we yield, it is all over with us; we 
 rush at headlong speed downhill. 
 
 But, on the other hand, if in this pause we turn our 
 back upon the devil, good angels come in his place 
 they whisper of hope and a new chance in life, 
 even for us. 
 
 When Effie left George on that miserable evening, 
 
 and when Lawson retired presently to his room, the 
 
 young man found that he had come to such a fearful 
 
 place of trial as I have just described. He was pulled 
 
 265
 
 266 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 up short, and the devil was tempting him. At one 
 side was the devil, at the other he saw the face of 
 his mother. It was impossible for him to lie down 
 and sleep. He fought with the devil all night. In 
 the morning there was neither victory nor defeat, 
 but the young, smooth face looked haggard and gray, 
 and the upright, well-knit figure was bowed. 
 
 Lawson came into the sitting-room for a moment. 
 
 "I am sorry I can't stay with you, George," he 
 said. "I am due at St. Joseph's at nine o'clock. 
 Have you made any plans for yourself?" 
 
 "No at least, yes. I've had an awful night, Law- 
 son, and there seems to be but one end to it." 
 
 "What is that ?" 
 
 "I must give myself up. I'm not the sort of fellow 
 to play the hiding game successfully. I'm safe to be 
 caught sooner or later. I deserve punishment, too 
 I've been doing badly for months. What I deserve, 
 it seems likely I'll have. In short, I think I'd better 
 make a clean breast of everything and take my my 
 punishment like a man." 
 
 "Do sit down for a minute," said Lawson. "There's 
 a good deal in what you say, and if you had only 
 yourself to consider, I'd counsel you to do it I
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 267 
 
 would, truly; but there's your mother to be thought 
 of." 
 
 "My mother ! Don't you suppose I've been think- 
 ing of my mother all night? It is the thought of 
 my mother that maddens me maddens me, I say! 
 Look here, Lawson, there's only one thing before 
 me: I'll go first to mother and tell her everything 
 straight out, and then I'll give myself up." 
 
 "You will?" said Lawson with a start of sudden 
 admiration. "Upon my word, George, old chap, I 
 didn't think you had the grit in you I didn't, 
 truly." 
 
 "Then you approve ?" 
 
 "It is the only thing to be done. She must hear 
 it sooner or later, and no one can tell it to her as 
 you can." 
 
 "All right. I'll go to her before my courage fails 
 me." 
 
 George left the room without even saying good-by 
 to his friend. 
 
 When he left the house he turned around and 
 saw the man whom he had noticed watching him the 
 day before at Waterloo Station. 
 
 "I'll be ready for you soon, my friend, but not 
 quite yet," muttered the young man.
 
 268 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 He walked quickly. The man followed him at a 
 respectful distance. 
 
 George let himself into his mother's house with 
 a latchkey. He ran up to the little sitting-room. 
 Agnes was bending, with red eyes, over a kettle which 
 was boiling on the fire. She was making a cup of 
 tea for her mother, who had just awakened. Katie 
 was cutting bread and butter, and Phil and Marjory 
 were standing by the window. Marjory was saying 
 to Phil, "I spect George will be turning the corner 
 and coming home in a minnte." 
 
 "Hush!" whispered Phil. "Hush, Marjory! 
 George isn't coming back any more." 
 
 At this moment the door was opened and George 
 came in. Marjory gave Phil a scornful glance and 
 flew to her big brother. Katie flung down the piece 
 of bread she was buttering, and Agnes turned from 
 the fire. George put out his hand to ward them all 
 off. 
 
 "Where's mother ?" he asked. 
 
 "She's awake, but she has been very ill," began 
 Agnes. "Oh, George ! George ! do be careful ! Where 
 are you going?" 
 
 "To my mother," answered the young man. "Don't
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 269 
 
 let anj one come with me I want to be alone with 
 her." 
 
 He went straight into the bedroom as he spoke 
 and shut the door behind him. 
 
 Mrs. Staunton was lying propped up high by pil- 
 lows. The powerful opiate had soothed her, but the 
 image of George still filled all her horizon. When 
 she saw him come into the room she smiled, and 
 stretched out her weak arms to clasp him. He came 
 over, knelt by her, and taking her hot hands, covered 
 his face with them. 
 
 "You've come back, my boy !" she said. 'Tin. not 
 very well to-day, but I'll soon be better. Why, what 
 is it, George ? What are you doing ? You are wet- 
 ting my hands ! You you are crying ? What is it, 
 George ?" 
 
 "I have come back to tell you something, mother. 
 I'm not what you think me I'm a scoundrel, a ras- 
 cal. I'm bad, I'm not good. I I've been deceiving 
 you i> m a thief!" 
 
 "Hush!" interrupted Mrs. Staunton. "Come a 
 little closer to me. You're not well, my dear boy 
 let me put my arm around your neck. You're not 
 well, my own lad ; but if you think "
 
 70 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 "I'm as bad as I can be, mother," said George, 
 "but it isn't bodily illness that ails me. I said I'd 
 make a clean breast of it. It's the only thing left 
 for me to do." 
 
 A frightened look came into Mrs. Staunton's eyes 
 for a moment, but then they filled with satisfaction 
 as they rested on the dark head close to her own. 
 
 "Whatever you've done, you are my boy," she 
 said. 
 
 "No ! no ! A thief isn't your boy !" said George. 
 "I tell you I'm a thief!" he added fiercely, looking 
 up at her with two bloodshot eyes. "You've got to 
 believe it. I'm a thief. I stole fifty pounds from 
 Gering yesterday and I was bad before that. I won 
 money at play I've won and lost, and I've lost and 
 won. Once Lawson gave me two hundred and fifty 
 pounds to invest, and I stole it to pay a gambling 
 debt, and Effie got it back for me she borrowed it 
 for me. My father wouldn't have given you to me 
 if he had known that. I had it on my conscience 
 when I was kneeling by his deathbed, but I couldn't 
 tell him then; and when he gave you to me I felt 
 that I never could tell. Then we came to London, 
 and I began to deceive you. I told you a false story
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 271 
 
 about that rise of salary I never bad any rise ; and 
 I took your fifty pounds two days ago out of the bank, 
 and I stole money to pay it back again. That's your 
 son, George, mother your true son in his real col- 
 ors. Now you know everything." 
 
 George stepped a pace or two away from the bed 
 as he spoke. He folded his arms. 
 
 Mrs. Staunton was looking at him with a piteous, 
 frightened expression on her face. Suddenly she 
 broke into a feeble and yet terrible laugh. 
 
 "My son George," she said. "That explains every- 
 thing. My son still still my son!" She laughed 
 again. 
 
 There came a knock at the outer door. 
 
 "Don't go, George !" said his mother. 
 
 "George, you're wanted," said Agnes. "Effie is 
 here, and Mr. Gering they want to see you. Come 
 at once." 
 
 "Mr. Gering!" exclaimed the mother. "He was 
 the man you took the money from. He's coming to 
 
 to punish you, to George, you're not to go! 
 
 Stay here with me ! I I'll hide you ! You're not 
 to go, George I won't let you ! I won't let you !" 
 
 "Dear mother ! dear, dearest mother ! you must let
 
 272 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 me I must take the punishment. I've deserved it, 
 and I'm determined to go through with it. Just say 
 a wonderful thing to me before I go, and I'll be 
 strong enough to bear it and to to come back to 
 you when it's over. Say you love me still, mother !" 
 
 "Love you!" exclaimed Mrs. Staunton. 
 
 "Yes, mother, although I'm a thief." 
 
 "Bless the boy ! That has nothing to do with it. 
 You're my boy, whatever you are." 
 
 "Then you do still love me ?" 
 
 "Yes! yes! yes! Of course I love the lad!" 
 
 George went straight to the door and opened it. 
 He walked straight into the other room. 
 
 "I'm ready to take the punishment, sir," he said, 
 going straight up to Mr. Gering. 
 
 His manner, and the look on his face, amazed his 
 late employer. 
 
 "Eh eh well, young sir," he said, Backing a 
 step or two, "and so you confess that you robbed 
 me?" 
 
 "I do." 
 
 "And you know what lies before you P 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 "Have you been deceiving that mother of yours 
 again?"
 
 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 273 
 
 "No. I've been telling her the truth, at last." 
 
 "Effiet Effie!" called Mrs. Staunton from the bed- 
 room. 
 
 Effie ran to her mother. 
 
 "Do you know, young man," said Mr. Gering, "that 
 you have got a very remarkable sister ?" 
 
 "Do you mean Effie? Oh, I always knew she was 
 a girl in a thousand." 
 
 "A girl in ten thousand, more like. Do you know, 
 young rascal, that she has been pleading with me 
 for you, and 'pon my word, it's true ! melting my 
 old heart till I don't know what I'm doing ? In short, 
 I've made her a promise." 
 
 "A promise! Oh, sir, what?" 
 
 "A promise that I'll let you off all but the moral 
 punishment. That, of course, you'll have to bear." 
 
 "Mr. Gering, is this true?" 
 
 "Yes, it's true. I'm doing it all on account of 
 your sister. You may come back to the office to-mor- 
 row, and consider that you've got a fresh start. Now, 
 for goodness' sake, don't keep me any longer ! Open 
 the door, one of you children, can't you ? I must 
 hurry back to my work." 
 
 That is the story, for George really did learn his
 
 274 A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND 
 
 lesson, and in his case the new leaf was turned. He 
 will carry the scars, however, of that time of sin and 
 suffering to his grave. 
 
 Effie kept her promise, and went as governess to 
 little Freda Harvey for a time, but only for a time. 
 When money affairs were straight again, she gladly 
 returned to the life which she really loved, and is 
 now superintendent of one of the wards at St. Jo- 
 seph's. 
 
 It is true that there are whispers afloat with regard 
 to her and Lawson whispers which always give a 
 feeling of consternation in the ward which she man- 
 ages so skillfully but only Effie herself can tell if 
 there is truth in them or not. 
 
 THB END 
 
 -c.
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY 
 
 Los Angeles 
 This book is DUE on the last date stamped below. 
 
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