eed should not be taken into consideration in selecting the workmen to
be employed. He urged this very strongly, and Bessie carried out his
wishes.

Levy's bills, in embossed writing, were copied by Bessie's mother and
her sisters; the weekly accounts were kept by these ladies from May
1854, when the cellar was taken, until the end of the year.

In the earliest records comes the pathetic entry: "Man to see colour."
This man, in spite of Levy's resolve to employ none except the blind,
reappears pretty often as the "Viewer." He used to "view" the baskets
and their colour.

On the 16th of August 1854 Levy's wages were raised to 10s. per week,
and at that time the cost of rent, postage, and porter for one week
amounted to no more than two shillings and two pence.

The cellar was, however, found to be inadequate to the requirements of
the undertaking, and it was decided that Levy should take a small house,
No. 83 Cromer Street, Brunswick Square. Bessie rented one room from him
at half a crown a week. It was to be used as a shop, and was known as
the Repository. The cellar in Holborn was given up.

As the work of the seven blind men depended mainly upon orders, there
was no great accumulation of stock, but some few specimens were on hand.

During the year 1854 Levy's accounts were copied sometimes by Mrs.
Gilbert, sometimes by Bessie's sisters or her sister-in-law. They were
quite clear to the two principals, but outsiders found them confused and
confusing. Bessie's younger brother took them in hand and tried to
reduce them to order, but the task was a hopeless one. Some bills were
entered more than once, whilst others were not entered at all. To
Bessie, who kept these accounts with unfailing accuracy in her head, the
difficulties with regard to entries must have seemed one of the
disabilities of sight. We learn some particulars as to the original plan
from a statement by Mrs. Gilbert; for each amanuensis kept her own
special copy of accounts.

"As much is to come back from the men for material as has been
originally expended by Bessie for material.

"The men take material weighed out by Mr. Levy one week and pay for it
the next week.

"This, with the value of the stock of material on hand, should tally
with what has been originally paid for materials of mats or baskets."

Some light is thrown on the view of all concerned with regard to these
pecuniary details by a letter from Levy, dated 5th December 1854, and
wr