gacy.
Will you hand them over to me? There will be months' work, but it will
be well worth the labour. I know some men in London would give you
hundreds of pounds for some of these papers, but I shall not let them
slip out of my hands.'

'I am so glad you will be able to make something of them,' responded
Agatha simply. 'He said I might make what use I liked of them, so I
willingly give them to you.'

'So Gwen's livelihood is secured,' said Clare, trying to speak lightly.
'Now let me tell you what I propose to do. The other day Miss Villars
asked me if I knew of any lady who would undertake the post of matron
to a small Convalescent Home for clergymen's wives and daughters. It
is a private one that Miss Villars has started herself. She said she
wanted some one who was quite a lady, and who would be able to make
every one feel comfortable and at home. The salary would be about 50
pounds. She said she would only give the post to some one who was
really needing the money. I believe she would give it to me at once if
I told her how things were with us, and I should like it. I mean to go
over to her this afternoon and ask her about it. Well, Agatha, don't
you approve? Do you think me too incapable for the housekeeping?'

Clare finished her proposal rather wistfully, and Gwen looked at her in
wonder. She had noticed, as perhaps the others had not, the great
change that had passed over the wilful, capricious girl during the last
six months. There was a subdued tone in her voice, but a glad light in
her eye and a quiet restfulness about her manner that had been utterly
foreign to her before.

Clare had come through the refining fire, softened and purified; she
was a little quieter than she used to be, but every now and then her
old, clear laugh would ring out, and if her moods were not so mirthful
as Elfie's, they were quite as bright. Quietly and unassumingly she
had slipped into the way of giving her help whenever it was needed, and
now when Agatha contemplated the possibility of a coming separation
from her, she began to realize how much she would miss her. The
conversation continued, and then Elfie put in her word.

'And now what in the world am I to do? Will you agree to letting me go
up to London and play to the public? I could get pushed on by
Professor S----. He told me in Germany he could give me several very
good introductions, if I wished to make music my profession. There is
really nothing