rong, and her face
brave and bright, as befitted one who lived for the right and rejected
the wrong.

"I am glad," she said to herself; "I did not ask her counsel: she has
forced it upon me. She is my good angel."

A moment later the two girls left the cottage. They walked quickly in
the direction of the big hotel. There were lights in many rooms,
servants walking about, and the hall-door was open. They walked up the
steps, and Kitty entered the hall. Florence followed her, pale and
trembling.

"Can I see Miss Keys?" asked Kitty of the hall porter.

"I will enquire if Miss Keys is up still," replied the man. "What name
shall I say?"

"Miss Sharston. I want to see her for a moment about something
important."

"Will you come in, Miss?"

"No; perhaps she would see me here. Say also that Miss Florence Aylmer
is with me."

The man withdrew. A moment later, Bertha, in her evening dress, looking
pretty and excited, ran downstairs.

"What is it? What's the matter?" she said. "Is that you, Florence?
Kitty, what is the matter?"

"We don't want to stay; we don't want you to tell Mrs. Aylmer, and we
don't want to get you into trouble of any sort," said Kitty, speaking
rapidly and drawing Bertha aside as she spoke. "But we want to give you
this back, and to let you know that what you suggested was
impossible--quite impossible."

As she spoke, she thrust the little packet which contained the fifty
pounds into Bertha's hand, and then took Florence's.

"Come, Flo; I think that is all," she said.

Bertha was too stunned to say a word. Before she had recovered from her
astonishment, the two girls had walked down the steps and gone out into
the night.

"What does this mean?" said Bertha to herself. "I don't like it at all,
but, thank goodness, we are leaving here to-morrow. I don't suppose
Florence will really tell on me. I must discover some other way to get
her into my power."

She went slowly back to the sitting-room. Mrs. Aylmer looked up
discontentedly.

"Who called to see you? I didn't know you had any friends in the town,
Bertha?" she said.

"Nor have I, but a couple of young girls who are staying here called to
return me a little packet which I had dropped on the beach to-day and
lost. They found it; my name was on it, and they brought it back to me."

"Oh, indeed; I thought I heard the waiter say that Miss Florence Aylmer
had called."

"You were mistaken, Mrs. Aylmer," replied Bertha, in her calm voice