ods as my recompense. Oh, I am a
miserable girl! You are the evil genius of my life."

"Don't talk such folly," said Bertha; "do let me think."

They were now both seated in the waiting-room, and Bertha covered her
face for a moment with her hands. Florence looked round, she felt hemmed
in, and now that she was face to face with Bertha she found that she
regarded her with loathing.

Presently Bertha raised her head and glanced at her.

"You must have it to-night?"

"Yes."

"Well, the best thing I can possibly do is to go straight home. I will
leave you here; you must on no account let anyone see you--that is
all-important. I will try to get to the station this evening and let you
have it. I don't know that I can write anything worth reading in the
time."

"But at least you will give style and epigram and pure English," said
poor Florence, who was sore after the bitter words with which her own
production had been received.

"Yes, I shall at least write like a woman of education," said Bertha.
"Well, stay here now, and I will, by hook or by crook, come here in time
for you to take the last train to town. I suppose it would not do if I
posted it?"

"No, it would not; I dare not go back without it. You think I am
altogether in your power; but I am desperate, and if you do not let me
have that essay to-night I will come to the Court, whoever dines there,
and see you. What does it matter to me? Aunt Susan cannot hate me more
than she does."

"You shall have the essay, of course," said Bertha, who turned pale when
Florence uttered this threat. "She means it too," thought Miss Keys, as
she drove rapidly home. "Oh, what shall I do? Such a world of things to
be done, and all those guests expected, and if the fruit or game does
not arrive in time (and cook and I dare not now show the stores which we
have put away in hiding) what is to be done?"

Bertha entered the house and saw Mrs. Aylmer, who was in just as bad a
humour as Bertha had expected to find her in. Everything, she declared,
was going wrong. She wished she had not asked those guests to dinner. If
there was no game nor proper fruit for dessert, she, Mrs. Aylmer, would
be disgraced for life.

Bertha roused herself to be soothing and diplomatic. She brought all her
fund of talent and ingenuity to the fore, and presently had arranged
things so well that she was able to rush to her desk in Mrs. Aylmer's
boudoir and begin to write Florence's essay.

Bertha w