with you. I know how kind you are, and how
fond of helping people in distress. At the present moment a lady of my
acquaintance is in great poverty; she has got some valuable Spanish
lace. I should like to sell it for her."

"I adore Spanish lace," said Mrs. Ellsworthy, her eyes sparkling.

"I thought I once heard you say you did, so I have brought it with me.
May I show it to you?"

"How good of you, dear Miss Egerton; let me see it at once. Real
Spanish lace is of great value. Oh, and white, too! What lovely
flounces!"

"The lady to whom they belonged know nothing of their real value; she
was disposing of both shawl and flounces yesterday evening for ten
shillings."

"Oh, Miss Egerton! oh, poor, poor thing! I will gladly give her fifty
pounds for them."

Miss Egerton coughed, and colored slightly.

"The fact is," she said, "I do not think she ought to sell them; they
are mementoes, and belonged to her mother. Mrs. Ellsworthy, I won't
deceive you any longer. This lace is now the property of Jasmine
Mainwaring. She took it to a pawnshop last night, and but for me would
have absolutely given it away; I was just in time to redeem it. Now
the fact is, I happen to know that Primrose does not wish this lace to
be sold; I offered, long ago, to find a purchaser for it, but she
looked terribly distressed at the idea. What I should like to do would
be this; in short, in short--I do not quite know how to put it--"

"I know, I know," said Mrs. Ellsworthy, clapping her hands, "you want
me to be a pawnbroker, and to lend money on it. I will, I will, with
pleasure; oh, this is quite a fresh and delightful idea."

"Give me ten pounds to help the poor child over her present
difficulties," said Miss Egerton, tears in her eyes. "Yes, ten pounds
is quite enough. I will not take a penny more."

"Now, Mrs. Ellsworthy, as we have comfortably disposed of this little
matter, I want to talk to you most seriously about the girls."

Mrs. Ellsworthy bent her head to listen with rapt attention; and the
two women were engaged for a couple of hours in most earnest
conversation.

That afternoon, when Jasmine, very weary and very depressed, toiled up
the stairs to her Palace Beautiful, she found two letters awaiting
her. One was from Primrose, containing very cheerful news about Daisy.
Daisy was really getting better, and had even been out for a few
minutes. The other letter had not come by the post, and Jasmine
wondered who her correspo