outhampton in order that they
might both be present when Colonel Sharston once more set foot on his
native land.

Kitty was very much excited, but she was too gentle and noble a girl,
too absolutely unselfish, not to notice that her companion was distrait
and anxious. No one could be much more worried than poor Florence was
that evening.

All during the long day which had followed she had kept saying to
herself: "Shall I or shall I not? Shall I take that fifty pounds from
Bertha and put myself in her power for ever, or shall I return her the
money, fight my way to fortune with the weapons which God has given me,
and not descend to her temptations?"

One moment Florence had almost made up her mind to choose the right
path, but the next instant the thought of the struggle which lay before
her and the terrible adventures which any girl must meet who fights the
world without money rose to weaken her resolve. It would be so easy to
accept that fifty pounds, and Bertha would scarcely dare to ask her to
repay it. She would at least have plenty of time to collect the money
bit by bit, and so return it to Bertha; but Florence knew well that if
once she took that money she would lower herself forever in the moral
scale.

"I should sink again to that sort of awful thing I was just before my
great temptation at Cherry Court School," she thought. "I have managed
to rise above that level now, and am I going to sink again?"

So she wavered all day long, the pendulum of her mind now swinging to
one side, now to another. The result was that she felt quite worn out
when night came.

"What is it?" said Kitty. "What is worrying you?"

"Oh, never mind," answered Florence. The tears rose to her eyes, she
pressed her hands for a moment to her face, then she said abruptly:
"Don't ask me."

"I will ask you. I have seen all day that you are wretched; you must
tell me what has gone wrong with you."

"I am tempted, that is all," said Florence.

"Then do not yield to the temptation," was Kitty's answer; "if it is
something you would rather not say to me----"

"No, Kitty, I must not tell you, but I am tempted strongly," answered
Florence.

"The only thing to do, however hard the temptation, is not to yield to
it," said Kitty.

Florence looked for a moment at her companion. Kitty, too, had known
what it was to want for money. Kitty had been poor. It is true that,
since the day she took the prize which Florence through deceit had los