led her to compromise herself so far?

"You had better go home now to your own dwelling, Mrs. Peck," said
Brandon; "for if Mr. Phillips were to know that you had been visiting
his wife in his absence you would come by the worst of it. Needlework,
indeed! Mrs. Phillips is a fool, certainly; but the idea of your doing
needlework for her is very absurd. So you had better never show face
there again."

"Perhaps you'd like to know where I live, Miss Melville," said Mrs.
Peck, glaring angrily at Brandon. "I lodge at No.--, Little Bourke
Street, and can be heard of there, either as Mrs. Mahoney or Mrs. Peck.
You can come there to see me."

"Like to know where YOU live--go to see YOU!" said Brandon, in towering
indignation. "Now Miss Melville knows your real character she will keep
away from you for ever. So now go off with you, as quickly as you can."

"Good-bye, Miss Melville," said Mrs. Peck, as she slowly went on her
way to her own lodgings. She found she must go, but she would not be
hurried by Brandon's wrath.

He waited till she was out of hearing before he tried to soothe the
feelings of the agitated girl she had left under his care.

"Now where can I take you to? If Mrs. Phillips allowed you to do such a
thing as walk through Melbourne with Mrs. Peck, she is not to be
trusted with you. Oh, if Peggy were only here--but she is not: your
sister told me she had not left Edinburgh."

"Take me back to Mrs. Phillips; she will be as glad to get rid of this
woman as you can possibly be," said Elsie.

"But she must have known there was something wrong, for she looked
confused and ashamed when I asked for you, and when I settled down to
wait till your return, she seemed quite restless till I went away.
Indeed, she sent me on an errand in quite a different direction; but I
wished to come this way, and thought there was no hurry about her
commission. I always knew her to be a fool, but not so wicked and false
as this proves her to be."

"I think this woman frightens her," said Elsie.

"She has some hold on her, no doubt. Poor Phillips! we had better say
nothing to him about it. So you would really prefer going home to her,"
said Brandon.

"Yes, certainly," said Elsie; and she paused for a little. "But, Mr.
Brandon, I am in want of advice and assistance more than I ever was in
my life. I must have it, and have it immediately. Can I rely on you as
a friend?"

"Yes, as a friend;--certainly, as a friend," said Brandon,