ferred taking refuge in it to accepting the
full brunt of the blow upon her cherished hopes.

She had just re-entered the house on her return, when Grace met her,
saying, "Oh, Rachel dear, Mrs. Rossitur is here."

"I think old servants have a peculiar propensity for turning up when the
house is in a state of turmoil," returned Rachel.

"I have been walking round the garden with her, and doing my best to
suffice for her entertainment," said Grace, good-naturedly, "but she
really wants to see you on business. She has a bill for the F. U. E. E.
which she wants you to pay."

"A bill for the F. U. E. E.?"

"Yes; she makes many apologies for troubling you, but Tom is to be
apprenticed to a grocer, and they want this fifteen pounds to make up
the fee."

"But I tell you, Grace, there can't have been fifteen pounds' worth of
things had in this month, and they were paid on the 1st."

"She says they have never been paid at all since the 1st of December."

"I assure you, Grace, it is in the books. I made a point of having all
the accounts brought to me on the 1st of every month, and giving out
the money. I gave out L3. 10s. for the Rossiturs last Friday, the 1st of
February, when Mr. Mauleverer was over here. He said coals were dearer,
and they had to keep more fires."

"There must be some mistake," said Grace. "I'll show you the books. Mr.
Mauleverer keeps one himself, and leaves one with me. Oh, botheration,
there's the Grey carriage! Well, you go and receive them, and I'll try
to pacify Mrs. Rossitur, and then come down."

Neatly kept were these account books of the F. U. E. E,, and sure enough
for every month were entered the sums for coals, wood, and potatoes,
tallying exactly with Mrs. Rossitur's account, and each month Mr.
Mauleverer's signature attested the receipt of the sum paid over to
him by Rachel for household expenses. Rachel carried them down to Mrs.
Rossitur, but this evidence utterly failed to convince that worthy
personage that she had ever received a farthing after the 1st of
December. She was profuse in her apologies for troubling Miss Rachel,
and had only been led to do so by the exigencies of her son's apprentice
fee, and she reposed full confidence in Rachel's eager assurance that
she should not be a loser, and that in another day the matter should be
investigated.

"And, Miss Rachel," added the old servant, "you'll excuse me, but they
do say very odd things of the matron at that place, and I do