impressed by her
strictures.

What a comfort the girl was in the weeks which followed, when the burden
of responsibility seemed to weigh ever more and more heavily on the
shoulders of the two young heads of the family! Hope was always ready
with sympathy, Theo with dramatic invectives against the cruelty of
fate, but Madge met difficulties with a laugh and a jest, and the sound
thereof was as sunshine in the house. In some respects fortune favoured
the adventurers at the start, for Stephen's firm made no difficulty
about his removal, while Mr Matthews snapped at the offer of the house,
and even promised to buy the fixtures "at a valuation." But here the
disappointments began. Philippa instantly made a valuation on her own
account, and added generously to the total in consideration of those
manifold odds and ends which accumulate in households of thirty years'
standing, but which are hardly worth the cost of cartage to pastures
new: oddments of glass and china, of tin and iron and earthenware;
mouldy volumes which no one will read; chairs minus a leg, rusty
fire-irons, and damaged ornaments.

"With a little glue and patching you might make good things of them yet.
Five pounds at the least! No; say seven pounds. Seven pounds added to
forty-five--over fifty pounds in all! That ought to pay for the removal
and leave something over for carpets and blinds. Thank goodness, I can
mark _that_ expense off the list!" sighed Philippa.

But alas for the frailty of human hopes! The valuer's estimate came to
exactly a third of the sum expected, while one and all the dealers
refused to bid for the valuable collection of antiquities, so that in
the end a cart had to be hired to convey the whole to the village
schoolroom, to be sold at a coming rummage sale!

Scarcely had poor Philippa recovered from this blow than the estimate
from the furniture remover arrived to cast her down once more. She
screamed aloud when her eye lighted on the horrible total. But what
could one do? The things must be moved, and the firm in question had
been recommended for its economy. It was appalling to think of the
inroads into capital which would be made before the real life in town
could begin; and Philippa needed all her courage when the hour came to
say good-bye to the old home, and go forth to prepare the flat for its
inmates. Madge was to accompany her, as a matter of course. It had
been so certain that she would be chosen as helper t