p to her room to deck herself, a bright idea as to a better
precaution struck Mrs Pipkin's mind. Ruby had been careless,--had left
her lover's scrap of a note in an old pocket when she went out with
the children, and Mrs Pipkin knew all about it. It was nine o'clock
when Ruby went upstairs,--and then Mrs Pipkin locked both the front door
and the area gate. Mrs Hurtle had come home on the previous day. 'You
won't be wanting to go out to-night;--will you, Mrs Hurtle?' said Mrs
Pipkin, knocking at her lodger's door. Mrs Hurtle declared her purpose
of remaining at home all the evening. 'If you should hear words
between me and my niece, don't you mind, ma'am.'

'I hope there's nothing wrong, Mrs Pipkin?'

'She'll be wanting to go out, and I won't have it. It isn't right; is
it, ma'am? She's a good girl; but they've got such a way nowadays of
doing just as they pleases, that one doesn't know what's going to come
next.' Mrs Pipkin must have feared downright rebellion when she thus
took her lodger into her confidence.

Ruby came down in her silk frock, as she had done before, and made her
usual little speech. 'I'm just going to step out, aunt, for a little
time to-night. I've got the key, and I'll let myself in quite quiet.'

'Indeed, Ruby, you won't,' said Mrs Pipkin.

'Won't what, aunt?'

'Won't let yourself in, if you go out. If you go out to-night you'll
stay out. That's all about it. If you go out to-night you won't come
back here any more. I won't have it, and it isn't right that I should.
You're going after that young man that they tell me is the greatest
scamp in all England.'

'They tell you lies then, Aunt Pipkin.'

'Very well. No girl is going out any more at nights out of my house;
so that's all about it. If you had told me you was going before, you
needn't have gone up and bedizened yourself. For now it's all to take
off again.'

Ruby could hardly believe it. She had expected some opposition,--what
she would have called a few words; but she had never imagined that her
aunt would threaten to keep her in the streets all night. It seemed to
her that she had bought the privilege of amusing herself by hard work.
Nor did she believe now that her aunt would be as hard as her threat.
'I've a right to go if I like,' she said.

'That's as you think. You haven't a right to come back again, any
way.'

'Yes, I have. I've worked for you a deal harder than the girl
downstairs, and I don't want no wages. I've a right