ing? and one of them shall not
fall on the ground without your Father.

"Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows."--St
Matthew x. 29, 31.

Mavis's heart was filled with contrition. She was not forgotten; there
was Someone who cared what became of her. Although she was now as one
of the sparrows, which are never certain of their daily food, she could
not fall without the knowledge of One who cared, and He---

Mavis knelt: she implored forgiveness for having believed herself to be
utterly forgotten: she thanked Him for caring that a poor, friendless
girl, such as she, should not fall.

CHAPTER FIVE

BARREN WAYS

There followed for Mavis many, many anxious days, spent from the first
thing in the morning till late at night in a fruitless search for work.
Her experiences were much the same as those of any attractive,
friendless girl seeking to earn her livelihood in London. To begin
with, she found that the summer was a time of year in which the
openings she sought were all obstinately closed, the heads of firms, or
those responsible for engaging additional assistance, being either away
on holidays, or back from these in no mood to consider Mavis'
application.

Another thing that struck her was that, whenever she went to interview
men, she was always treated civilly, cordially, or familiarly; but the
womenfolk she saw were invariably rude, directly they set eyes upon her
comeliness. Once or twice, she was offered employment by men; it was
only their free and easy behaviour which prevented her accepting it.
Mavis, as yet, was ignorant of the conditions on which some employers
of female labour engage girls seeking work; but she had a sensible head
screwed on her pretty shoulders; she argued that if a man were inclined
to be familiar after three minutes' acquaintance, what would he be when
she was dependent upon him for a weekly wage? It was not compatible
with her vast self-respect to lay herself open to risk of insult,
suggested by a scarcely veiled admiration for her person after a few
moments' acquaintance. It was not as if she had any qualification of
marketable value; she knew neither shorthand nor typewriting; she could
merely write a decent hand, was on very fair terms with French, on
nodding acquaintance with German, and had a sound knowledge of
arithmetic.

On the face of it, her best course was to get a situation as governess;
but Mavis, after a week's trial, gave up the ende