zling in her eyes,
and her own future was replete with hope.

Primrose also ceased to worry over the anxieties and cares of the
future; she ceased to reflect on the plan which was so soon to be
carried into execution. Her serene face looked sweet and careless as
in the happy days of her mother's lifetime. She leaned back in her
seat, gazed at the beauties of the river, and gave herself up to the
happiness of the hour.

The two younger girls, being never over anxious and being always more
or less full of hope, were to-day only more hopeful and bright than
usual. Many people turned to look at the pretty sisters, and to laugh
at Poppy's innocent expressions of rapture.

They landed at Battersea, and wandered about the pretty park, and had
refreshments in a quaint restaurant, where they really managed to
satisfy their hunger at a very moderate charge.

That evening they returned to the Mansion, having kept within the
limits of the prescribed five shillings, and each of them declaring
that she had never known a happier day.

"But now," said Primrose, addressing her two sisters solemnly, "we
must remember that after to-night we have done with pleasure.
To-morrow we must seriously set about forming our plans."

CHAPTER XX.

GETTING LOST.

Primrose's scheme had, of course, been considered most wild and most
foolish by all her friends at Rosebury but even they were not prepared
for her crowning act of folly. She, Jasmine and Daisy had a
consultation together. This consultation was really nothing but a
matter of form, for Primrose, quiet as she appeared could lead her two
sisters as she willed--her slightest word was law to them, and the
most outrageous plan proposed by her would have been delightful in
their eyes. Her suggestion to them was as follows:

"We will go to London," she said--"we will try to be independent, and
to earn our own living, and in order to do so really, and to prevent
ourselves being tempted by Mrs. Ellsworthy's riches, or by Miss
Martineau's advice, we will not give our address. We will stay for a
short time at Penelope Mansion, and then we will go away. We will find
those nice, clean, cheap lodgings, where we can hang up our muslin
curtains, and keep things lovely and fresh, even though we are in
London, and we will stay there without troubling our friends about us
until we have succeeded. The moment we have succeeded in earning
enough to live on we will write home."

Jasmine, and of