accompanied by a piano, played evidently by an accomplished musician,
issuing from the house. As to the boys, they thought that, next only
to that of the home-coming of Mrs. Andrews, never was such a happy
evening spent in the world.

I do not think that in all London there was a household that enjoyed
that winter more than did the inmates of No. 8 Laburnum Villas. Their
total earnings were about thirty-five shillings a week, much less than
that of many a mechanic, but ample for them not only to live, but to
live in comfort and even refinement. No stranger, who had looked into
the pretty drawing room in the evening, would have dreamed that the
lady at the piano worked as a milliner for her living, or that the
lads were boys in a manufactory.

When spring came they began to plan various trips and excursions which
could be taken on bank holidays or during the long summer evenings,
when an event happened which, for a time, cut short all their plans.
The word had been passed round the shops the first thing in the
morning that Mr. Penrose was coming down with a party of ladies and
gentlemen to go over the works, and that things were to be made as
tidy as possible.

Accordingly there was a general clearing up, and vast quantities of
shavings and sawdust were swept up from the floors, although when the
machines had run again for a few hours no one would have thought that
a broom had been seen in the place for weeks.

George was now in a shop where a number of machines were at work
grooving, mortising, and performing other work to prepare the wood for
builders' purposes. The party arrived just as work had recommenced
after dinner.

There were ten or twelve gentlemen and as many ladies. Nelly Penrose,
with two girls about her own age, accompanied the party. They stopped
for a time in each shop while Mr. Penrose explained the nature of the
work and the various points of the machinery.

They had passed through most of the other rooms before they entered
that in which George was engaged, and the young girls, taking but
little interest in the details of the machinery, wandered somewhat
away from the rest of the party, chatting among themselves. George had
his eye upon them, and was wishing that Mr. Penrose would turn round
and speak to them, for they were moving about carelessly and not
paying sufficient heed to the machinery.

Suddenly he threw down his work and darted forward with a shout; but
he was too late, a revolvin