lodgers in the house, and we had the means of going
in and out without passing through the shop. I arranged, for the
present at least, that neither Marian nor Laura should stir outside the
door without my being with them, and that in my absence from home they
should let no one into their rooms on any pretence whatever. This rule
established, I went to a friend whom I had known in former days--a wood
engraver in large practice--to seek for employment, telling him, at the
same time, that I had reasons for wishing to remain unknown.

He at once concluded that I was in debt, expressed his regret in the
usual forms, and then promised to do what he could to assist me. I
left his false impression undisturbed, and accepted the work he had to
give. He knew that he could trust my experience and my industry. I
had what he wanted, steadiness and facility, and though my earnings
were but small, they sufficed for our necessities. As soon as we could
feel certain of this, Marian Halcombe and I put together what we
possessed. She had between two and three hundred pounds left of her
own property, and I had nearly as much remaining from the
purchase-money obtained by the sale of my drawing-master's practice
before I left England. Together we made up between us more than four
hundred pounds. I deposited this little fortune in a bank, to be kept
for the expense of those secret inquiries and investigations which I
was determined to set on foot, and to carry on by myself if I could
find no one to help me. We calculated our weekly expenditure to the
last farthing, and we never touched our little fund except in Laura's
interests and for Laura's sake.

The house-work, which, if we had dared trust a stranger near us, would
have been done by a servant, was taken on the first day, taken as her
own right, by Marian Halcombe. "What a woman's hands ARE fit for," she
said, "early and late, these hands of mine shall do." They trembled as
she held them out. The wasted arms told their sad story of the past,
as she turned up the sleeves of the poor plain dress that she wore for
safety's sake; but the unquenchable spirit of the woman burnt bright in
her even yet. I saw the big tears rise thick in her eyes, and fall
slowly over her cheeks as she looked at me. She dashed them away with
a touch of her old energy, and smiled with a faint reflection of her
old good spirits. "Don't doubt my courage, Walter," she pleaded, "it's
my weakness that cr