hest possible eggs, half a dozen
sausages, a loaf of bread, half a pound of butter, two pots of jam, one
pot of marmalade, some apples, a pound of tea, a pound of sugar.

"This will do as a start," she said to herself.

She was just about to turn into Lynton Street when she stopped at a
flower shop. In the window, smiling at her most fragrantly under the
gas-light was a white hyacinth in a blue pot. It seemed to speak to her
with, the same significance as once the ring with the three pearls; as
though it said: "You've got to use me. I'm a link in the chain."

She went in and asked its price; not very much, considering the
splendour of the blue pot. She bought it. She was glad that 13A was not
far, because now the basket and the flower weighed heavily upon her.

She climbed the stairs to Martin's room with beating heart. Suppose he
had returned and was there and would not let her in? Or suppose, worse
than that, that he had returned, packed his bag and gone away again?
Her heart was beating so terribly when at last she had arrived outside
the door that she had to put down the hyacinth and the basket and stand
for a minute there, panting.

She pushed back the door; the room was lit by the reflection from a
lamp in a window on the opposite side of the road; this flickered with
a pale uncertain glow across the floor. He was not here. She opened the
bedroom door. He had not packed his bag. She sighed with relief. She
found a bell and pressed it. To her great surprise the scrubbing maid
almost instantly presented herself; curiosity had undoubtedly hastened
her steps.

"What's your name?" asked Maggie, smiling.

"Emily," said the girl.

"The first thing I want is a box of matches," said Maggie. "You'll
light the gas for me, won't you. The truth is, I'm not quite tall
enough to reach it."

Emily lit the gas.

"Thank you so much," said Maggie. "I must have a fire. That's the next
thing. This cold room must have been a bad thing for Mr. Warlock with
his cough."

"Yes, 'e 'as got a corf," said Emily, watching Maggie with all her eyes.

"Well, do you think I could have a fire?" asked Maggie.

Emily considered.

"I'll ask the missus," she said; "I shouldn't wonder."

She returned soon with coal, wood and newspaper. She also informed
Maggie that Mrs. Brandon would like to have a "little in advance if
convenient, that being the custom."

Maggie delivered up ten and sixpence and was left with exactly two
shillings