ung people contrive to
see a good deal of each other in spite of everything. Indeed, had I
not thought so, I think I should have insisted on Cherie's going
instead of Violet, although she would have had to give up her winter
abroad."

Here the visitor usually made polite inquiries about this same winter
abroad, and heard of a delightful prospect of several months to be
spent in the south of France, unnecessary and unpleasant details all
omitted.

"You do agree with me?" Mrs. Polkington would then ask rather
anxiously, as if her hearer's opinion was the one that really mattered
to her. "You do think it wrong to allow Cherie to refuse this
invitation for Violet's sake? I am very glad you think so. I had quite
a difficulty in persuading her; but, as I told her, it was not a
chance she was likely to have again. So she is going, and Violet will
have to spend her winter in Bath. Julia? Oh, Julia was not asked in
either case; she will be staying at home with me."

From all of which it is clear that part of Julia's plan was to be
adopted. The other part must have found favour, too, for soon it
became known that the Polkingtons were without a servant. Mrs.
Polkington made inquiries among her friends, but could not hear of any
one suitable; she said it was very tiresome, especially as they had
taken advantage of the girl's empty room to invite an old Anglo-Indian
friend of her husband's to stay.

Thus was the difficulty tided over, and with so good a face that few
in Marbridge had any idea that it existed. Certainly none knew of the
pinching and screwing and retrenching which went on indoors at No. 27.
One or two tradesmen could have told of long accounts unpaid, and some
relations living at a distance were troubled by appeals for help, a
form of begging which, at this date of their history did not hurt the
Polkingtons' sensibility much.

Mrs. Polkington suffered in body, if not in mind, during this hard
time, though fortunately she was able to be away a month. The Captain
suffered a good deal more, which was perhaps only just; and Johnny
Gillat suffered with him, which was not just, though that did not seem
to occur to him. As for Julia, she minded least of any one, though in
some ways she had the most to put up with; but the plan was hers, and
consequently she was too interested in its success to trouble about
the inevitable discomforts of the working out.

There was one matter which did trouble her, however--the debt t