. Why it's heaps and lots of money.
Primrose, what are you so grave about?"

"Only," said Primrose, in her slow voice, "only Miss Martineau thought
it very, very little money. She looked so grave when she spoke about
it--indeed, she seemed almost sad. Jasmine, I really think Miss
Martineau quite loves us."

"Perhaps," said Jasmine, in an indifferent tone. "Well, Rose, if you
are quite determined to be shabby and saving, I may as well join Daisy
in the garden."

Jasmine stooped down, kissed her sister lightly on the forehead, and
then ran out of the room. A moment or two later Primrose heard
laughing voices floating in through the open window. She was glad in
her heart that Jasmine and Daisy were beginning to do things just as
usual, and yet somehow their laughter gave her a pang.

The little cottage was a tiny place; it consisted downstairs of one
long low room, with a bay window at the extreme end. This room the
Mainwarings called the drawing-room, and it was really furnished with
great daintiness and care. At one end was the bay window, at the other
were glass doors which opened directly into the garden. The kitchen
was at the other end of the narrow hall, and this also looked on the
garden. Hannah, the one servant, was often heard to object to this
arrangement. She gave solid reasons for her objections, declaring
roundly that human nature was far more agreeable to her than any part
of the vegetable kingdom; but though Hannah found her small kitchen
rather dull, and never during the years she stayed with them developed
the slightest taste for the beauties of Nature, she was sincerely
attached to the Mainwaring girls, and took care to serve them well.

Upstairs were two bedrooms--one looking to the street, in which the
girls slept, the prettiest room with the garden view being reserved
for Mrs. Mainwaring. Hannah occupied a small and attic-like apartment
over the kitchen.

When Jasmine ran into the garden Primrose slowly rose from her seat
and went upstairs. It occurred to her that this was a fitting
opportunity to do something which she longed and dreaded to
accomplish.

Since her mother's death, since the moment when the three young girls
had bent over the coffin and strewed flowers over the form they loved,
the sisters had not gone near this room.

Hannah had dusted it and kept it tidy, but the blinds had been drawn
down and the sun excluded. The girls had shrunk from entering this
chamber; it seemed to t