id so, sternly:

"Elsa, wife! Three thousand dollars, and I not know it! How dare
you?"

"Ach! how not dare I? It was the new pick, or the new pushcart, or the
new everything, is it not so? Well, then, if one would save one need
not tell."

Mrs. Trent's face saddened, and, seeing this, Jessica impatiently
exclaimed:

"Oh, I hate money! It's always that which makes the trouble. It was
about money that those New York folks made such wicked charges against
my father. It was for a little money that you 'boys' were so quick to
ruin 'Forty-niner's' character. It was money, and the greed for it,
that changed Antonio from a good to a bad man."

"Hold on, captain. There wasn't ever any 'change' in him. He was born
that way."

"He was born a baby, wasn't he, John? All babies are good, I s'pose.
It's loving money has made Ferd do such dreadful things; and now, over
a little money, Wolfgang and Elsa are quarreling, though I never heard
them speak crossly to each other before. Oh, I hate it! Give it all
back to her, mother dear, and let us forget all that Pedro said. I,
for my part, hope his old copper mine will never be dug out."

Some who heard her laughed, but the mother grew even graver than at
first, and looked searchingly into her daughter's face. Again there
came to her mind the consciousness that the little girl was growing up
in a strange fashion; seeming both too wise and too simple for her
years. It could never be any different at Sobrante, where one and all
conspired to spoil her, though innocently enough, and from pure
affection. How could she, single-handed, combat these hurtful
influences?

The answer came swiftly enough in a second thought: "Money."

If there were but a little more of that power for good as well as evil
in her possession she could send the child to some fine school and
have her educated properly. The separation would be like death in life
to herself, but what true mother ever thought of self where her child
was concerned? Certainly, not Gabriella Trent. It was with a little
sigh that she put her arm about Lady Jess and drew her to her side,
saying:

"Here, daughter, you and John examine these bags together, while the
rest of us look on and tally for you. I want Elsa to have her own, at
once."

They moved the books and papers from the table, and Jessica emptied
the contents of the bags into one gleaming heap near the big lamp,
whose light gave an added radiance to the coins, making mor