he who attended to the ordering of the few wants of the humble
household; she arranged the meals, paid the bills, and generally looked
after the domestic economy of the college; she took much pride in the
orderliness of her housekeeper's cupboard, into which Amelia never
dared to pry. In the schoolroom, she received the parents, arranged the
fees and extras, and inflicted the trifling punishment she awarded to
delinquents, which latter, it must be admitted, gave her a faint
pleasure.

Annie Mee, her sister, had a natural inclination for the flesh-pots of
life. She liked to lie abed on Sunday and holiday mornings; she spread
more butter on her breakfast toast than Helen thought justified by the
slenderness of their resources; she was indulgent to the pupils, and
seized any opportunity that offered of going out for the evening. She
frequented (and had been known to enjoy) entertainments given in
schoolrooms for church purposes she welcomed the theatre or concert
tickets which were sometimes sent her by the father of one of the
pupils (who was behind with his account), when, however paltry the
promised fare, she would be waiting at the door, clad in her faded
garments, a full hour before the public were admitted, in order not to
miss any of the fun. Mavis usually accompanied her on these excursions;
although she was soon bored by the tenth-rate singers and the poor
plays she heard and saw, she was compensated by witnessing the pleasure
Miss Annie Mee got from these sorry dissipations.

The two sisters' dispositions were alike in one thing: the good works
they unostentatiously performed. The sacrifices entailed by these had
much contributed to their declining fortunes. This unity of purpose did
not stay them from occasionally exchanging embittered remarks when
heated by difference of opinion.

When they sat down to breakfast, Helen poured out the coffee.

"What day does the West London Observer come out?" asked Annie,
presently, of Mavis.

"Friday, I believe."

"There should be some account of yesterday's proceedings," said Miss
Helen. "The very proper references which Mr Smiley made to our
acquaintance with the late Mr Ruskin are worthy of comment."

"I have never known the applause to be so hearty as it was yesterday,"
remarked Annie, after she had eaten her first piece of toast.

"What is the matter, Mavis?" asked Miss Helen.

"A crumb stuck in my throat," replied Mavis, saying what was untrue, as
she bent ove