d Aunt Anne that she wanted five pounds of her money, but she
did not say for what she needed them.

Aunt Anne gave her the money at once without a word--as though she
said: "We have given up all control of you except to see that you
behave decently whilst you are still with us."

When the fog arrived it seemed to penetrate every nook and corner of
the house. The daily afternoon walk that Maggie took with Aunt
Elizabeth was cancelled because of the difficulty of finding one's way
from street to street and "because some rude man might steal one's
money in the darkness," and Maggie was not sorry. Those walks had not
been amusing, Aunt Elizabeth having nothing to say and being fully
occupied with keeping an eye on Maggie, her idea apparently being that
the girl would suddenly dash off to freedom and wickedness and be lost
for ever. Maggie had no such intention and developed during these weeks
a queer motherly affection for both the aunts, so lost they were and
helpless and ignorant of the world! "My dear," said Maggie to herself,
"you're a bit of a fool as far as common-sense goes, but you're nothing
to what they are, poor dears." She tried to improve herself in every
way for their benefit, but her memory was no better. She forgot all the
things that were, in their eyes, the most important--closing doors,
punctuality for meals, neat stitches, careful putting away of books and
clothes.

Once, during a walk, she said to Aunt Elizabeth:

"I am trying, Aunt Elizabeth. Do you think Aunt Anne sees any
improvement?"

And all Aunt Elizabeth said was:

"It was a great shock to her, what you did. Maggie--a great shock
indeed!"

When the last day of the year arrived Maggie was surprised at the
strange excitement that she felt. It was excitement, not only because
of the dim mysterious events that the evening promised, but also
because she was sure that this day would settle the loneliness of
herself and Martin. After this they would know where they stood and
what they must do. Old Warlock loomed in front of her as the very
arbiter of her destiny. On his action everything turned. Oh! if only
after this he were well enough for Martin to be happy and at ease about
him! She was tempted to hate him as she thought of all the trouble that
he had made for her. Then her mind went back to that first day long ago
when he had spoken to her so kindly and bidden her come and see him as
often as she could. How little she had known then what