those
who have plenty of money and friends, but which is not far from being
the worst of all possible worlds for those who have not. She took five
pounds from her little store and went to the sister.

"I am rather poor," she said, with a smile, "and I cannot afford more
than this. I wish it were a hundred times as much; indeed, no money
could repay your goodness and kindness to me, the wonder of which I
shall never cease to feel."

The sister looked at her keenly, but said very gently:

"You can put it in the box in the hall when you go out; but you will
not go to-day. I will arrange for you to stop until to-morrow; in fact,
the baby--none of us--could spare you. I want you to have some ten with
me in my room to-night and a little talk, Miss Heron."

So Ida turned away quickly, that the sister might not see her tears,
and accepted the reprieve.

CHAPTER XXXVII.

The Herons were not very much surprised at Ida's flight, but though
John and his wife and daughter were anything but sorry to get rid of
her, they were rather uncomfortable, and Joseph, who was in the
doldrums after his drinking-fit, did not make them more comfortable by
assuring them that he was perfectly certain she had committed suicide.

He and his father set out to look for her, but, as Ida had left no clue
behind, they could find no trace of her, though they procured the
assistance of Scotland Yard, and inserted guarded advertisements in the
newspapers. John Heron comforted himself with the reflection that she
could have come to no harm or they would have heard of it; and at last
it occurred to him, when nearly a fortnight had elapsed, that she might
have returned to Herondale, probably to the care of Mr. Wordley, and
that he had been too indignant to acquaint the Herons with the fact.

"I think I had better run down to Herondale, Maria, and ascertain if
the erring and desperate girl has returned there," he said, one morning
after prayers. "Seeing that she left my roof in so unseemly a fashion,
with no word of regret or repentance, I do not consider that she has
any further claim upon me; but I have a tender heart, and on this
occasion I will be generous before I am just."

"I am sure she has no further claim upon us," said Mrs. Heron, with a
sniff, "and I hope you will make it plain, John, that on no account can
we take her back. We have been put to considerable trouble and expense,
and I really think that her going without any fuss is qu