rt herself by singing.

Her father had been English, a distinguished student and critical
scholar, holding a professorship of which the income, together with
what he received from writing learned articles in the serious reviews,
had sufficed for himself, his wife and his only child. At his death he
had left little except his books, his highly honourable reputation and
a small life insurance.

He had married an American whose father had been rich at the time, but
had subsequently lost all he possessed by an unfortunate investment,
depending upon an invention, which had afterwards become enormously
valuable. Finding himself driven to extremities and on the verge of
failure, he had been glad to make over his whole interest to a distant
relative, who assumed his liabilities as well as his chances of
success. Utterly ruined, save in reputation, he had bravely accepted a
salaried post, had worked himself to death in eighteen months and had
died universally respected by his friends and as poor as Job.

His daughter, Mrs. Donne, had felt her position keenly. She was a
sensitive woman, she had married a poor man for love, expecting to make
him rich; and instead, she was now far poorer than he. He, on his part,
never bestowed a thought on the matter. He was simple and unselfish and
he loved her simply and unselfishly. She died of a fever at forty-two
and her death killed him. Two years later, Margaret Donne was alone in
the world.

Mrs. Rushmore had known Margaret's American grandmother and had been
Mrs. Donne's best friend. She had grave doubts as to the conditions on
which the whole interest in the invention had been ceded to old Alvah
Moon, the Californian millionaire, and, after consulting her own
lawyers in New York, she had insisted upon bringing suit against him,
in Margaret Donne's name, but at her own risk, for the recovery of an
equitable share of the fortune. A tenth part of it would have made the
girl rich, but there were great difficulties in the way of obtaining
evidence as to an implied agreement, and Alvah Moon was as hard as
bedrock.

While the suit was going on, Mrs. Rushmore insisted that Margaret
should live with her, and Margaret was glad to accept her protection
and hospitality, for she felt that the obligation was not all on her
own side. Mrs. Rushmore was childless, a widow and very dependent on
companionship for such enjoyment as she could get out of her existence.
She had few resources as she grew