-money.

On their way home that evening, therefore, she was only too glad to
find herself by her father's side.

"Well, little girl," he said, "so you're forsaking all your young
companions and wish to sit close to the old dad?"

The old dad, it may be mentioned, was driving home in a mail-phaeton
from the picnic, and Merry found herself perched high up beside him as
he held the reins and guided a pair of thoroughbred horses.

"Well, what is it, little girl?" he said.

"I wonder, father, if you'd be most frightfully kind?"

"What!" he answered, just glancing at her; "that means that you are
discontented again. What more can I do for you, Merry?"

"If I might only have my pocket-money to-night."

"You extravagant child! Your pocket-money! It isn't due for a week."

"But I do want it very specially. Will you advance it to me just this
once, dad?"

"I am not to know why you want it?"

"No, dad darling, you are not to know."

Mr. Cardew considered for a minute.

"I hope you are not going to be a really extravagant woman, Merry," he
said. "To tell the truth, I hate extravagance, although I equally hate
stinginess. You will have no lack of money, child, but money is a
great and wonderful gift and ought to be used to the best of best
advantages. It ought never to be wasted, for there are so many people
who haven't half enough, and those who are rich, my child, ought to
help those who are not rich."

"Yes, darling father," said Merry; "and that is what I should so
awfully like to do."

"Well, I think you have the root of the matter in you," said Mr.
Cardew, "and I, for one, am the last person to pry on my child. Does
Cicely also want her money in advance?"

"Oh no, no! I want it for a very special reason."

"Very well, my little girl. Come to me in the study to-night before
you go to bed, and you shall have your money."

"In sovereigns, please, father?"

"Yes, child, in sovereigns."

"Thank you ever so much, darling."

During the rest of the drive there was no girl happier than Merry
Cardew. Mr. Cardew looked at her once or twice, and wondered what all
this meant. But he was not going to question her.

When they got home he took her away to his study, and, opening a
drawer, took out ten sovereigns.

"I may as well tell you," he said as he put them into her hand, "that
when you go to school I shall raise your pocket-money allowance to
fifteen pounds a quarter. That is quite as large a sum as a girl