last winter."

"Well, well, mother," said Tipps, laughing, "I don't want to pry into
such secrets; but here, you see, we have seventeen pounds odd of the
discrepancy discovered already, and I've no doubt that the remainder
could soon be fished up."

"Yes," sighed Mrs Tipps, sadly, "I see it now. As the poet truly
says,--`Evil is wrought by want of thought as well as want of heart.' I
have been assisting the poor at the expense of my trades-people."

"Mother," exclaimed Tipps, indignantly, "you have been doing nothing of
the sort. Don't imagine that I could for a moment insinuate such a
thing. You have only made a little mistake in your calculations, and
all that you have got to do is to _put down a larger sum for
contingencies_ next time. What nonsense you talk about your
trades-people! Every one of them shall be paid to the last farthing--"

Here Tipps was interrupted by the entrance of Edwin Gurwood, who at once
began with much interest to inquire into the health of Mrs Tipps, and
hoped that she had not suffered in any way from her recent accident.

Mrs Tipps replied she was thankful to say that she had not suffered in
any way, beyond being a little shaken and dreadfully alarmed.

"But railways have suffered," said Tipps, laughing, "for mother is so
strongly set against them now that she would not enter one for a
thousand pounds."

"They have suffered in worse ways than that," said Gurwood, "if all that
I hear be true, for that accident has produced a number of serious
compensation cases."

Hereupon Gurwood and his friend plunged into an animated conversation
about railway accidents and their consequences, to the intense interest
and horror of Mrs Tipps.

Meanwhile Netta left the room, and went to her old nurse's apartment.

"Nurse," she said, hurriedly, "when did you say you proposed paying your
brother in London a visit--about this time, was it not?"

"Yes, dear," said old Mrs Durby, taking off her tortoise-shell
spectacles and laying down her work, "I thought of going next week, if
it is quite convenient."

"It _is_ quite convenient, nurse," continued Netta, in a somewhat
flurried manner; "it would be still more convenient if you could go
to-morrow or next day."

"Deary me--what's wrong?" inquired Mrs Durby, in some surprise.

"Listen, I have not time to explain much," said Netta, earnestly,
sitting down beside her faithful nurse and putting her hand on her
shoulder. "We have got into diffi