A Plucky Girl

p, who stood with his back to us. He was talking earnestly to one of Macalister's clerks, and there was something about his figure which caused me to look

man who stood with his back to us, and did not even glance round as we came into the agent's office, was beyond doubt a gentleman. I felt curiously anxious

ng rapidly away. Mother had doubtless not noticed the man at all. She was seated near a table, and

she cleared her throat, "we are

en bedrooms in eac

s," repeated mother. "How ma

or six," wa

d the agent. "Where do you propo

th great respect. Moth

north," she said; "or

"Bloomsbury, we wish to

ogetic tone to the clerk. The face of the clerk presented a blank appearance, he showed neither elation nor the reverse at having a young la

istocratic!" said mother, and there w

ecoming quite the fashion again, and so is"-he paused-"W

loomsbury Square. After all, if we can get a large enough house it does not greatly matter, provid

d, ladies, to think of a

induced to allow her to live in a tiny, tiny flat-she and I alone on our one hund

at houses, we do

re supplied with orders to view, and returning t

handsome halls and wide staircases, and double doors, and other relics of past grandeur, but all were gloomy a

ss. Think of the staff of servants we should require. Do look at these stair

dreams seemed to become more rosy as obstacles appeared in view

chair, and she sat in the great wide desolate drawing-room while I ran up and down stairs, and peeped into cupboards, and looked all over the house

equence very large and roomy. There were quite six or seven sitting rooms, and I think there were up to twenty bedrooms in the house, and it had a most cheerful aspect, with balconies round the drawing-room windows, and balconies to the windows of the bedrooms on the first floor. I made up my mind on the spot that the inmates of these special rooms should pay extra for the privilege of such delightful bal

ven up climbing those many, many stairs, and told h

st, darling mother, in ten years time we shall be rich wome

n know the ren

forgot about that. I will

undred and eighty pounds a year. Not at all dear for so big a mansion, but with rates and taxes and all the other etceteras it c

y, "we will secure this house; I do not

Mother stepped into the carriage, an

s your scheme, darling; I am not at all accustomed to this sort o

ds in a coaxing tone, for the tired look on her face almost frightened me, and I did not wa

me forward. I told him briefly that of the many houses which we had looked

est house on our list. Do you want it

we want the house for ourselves-tha

rest of the houses in the Square. It contains a great many rooms." He glanced at me as though he mea

the house?" I asked. "It would of co

not otherwise," answer

a lease," I replied. "W

libly; "but I do not think the landlords round her

matter as soon as possible, we are greatly pleased with the house. Of course the drains must

aid the man, "but of course there are several matters to be gon

s seated, and at that moment I heard a book fall heavily to the ground

forward and quietl

wish to secure 17 Graham Square in o

wn the large book in which

rt to be carried on in the house, it would destroy all the rest of

nued, stammering and blushing, and feeling ready to sink through the fl

ondition in every lease in that special Square, that money is not to be earn

d stiff. All the angry blood of my noble ancestors stirre

in the carriage. It was a warm day, but I think going through those e

believe it, mother, the agent says the landlord

stand," answered mother. Her blue eyes

you know we meant to fill t

other. "Home, Jenkins,

s, and we trotted home. Moth

ot taken the h

ore than provoking. What are we to do?

"but, Westenra, there is a Providence guiding our paths. Doubtless Provi

we must do something for our living? It is di

ing-house scheme. She seemed to think that because we could not get

y, secured the names of several agents in the neighbourhood. These I visited in turn. I had dressed myself very plainly; I had travelled to my destination by 'bus. I tho

untless flights of stairs, those long narrow windows, those hopelessly narrow halls; and then, the neighbourhood of these so-called mansions was so sordid. Could we by any possible means brighten such dwellings? Could we make them fit to liv

, madam. It is a very fine house, only one hundred and eighty pounds a year. The

ay hideous, thoroughfare. I thought of my delicate, aristocratic mother here. I thought of the friends whom I used to

o-day," I said; "I

it, madam," s

t decide so soon; I mu

said the man, in a t

ffice and re

we took 14 Cleveland Street. The street itself was somewhat narrow; the opposite houses seemed to bow at their neighbours; the rooms,

y that Mr. Mason won't have the ceilings whitened for you, but as to papering, no

he last tenant

s the quick reply, and the man d

ok that detestable house, we also would have to leave on account of insolvency, for what nice, cheerful, payin

I became quite an adept at jumping in and out of omnibuses. I could get off omnibuses quite neatly when they were going at a fairly good pace, and the conductors, I am s

There are larger, brighter, and newer houses i

noticed that the man examined me all over in quit

iss, but of course you understand that the

ely, with a queer sinking at my heart, to whom of all our grand friends I might apply who would vou

Westenra, was to break to these fashionable society people my wild project. But I had passed through a good deal of the hardening process

rnoon and evening wear still quite fresh, and I donned my prettiest dress now, and looked at my face in the glass with a certain amount of solicitude. I saw before me a very tall, slender girl; my eyes were grey. I had a

ans to my liking. I feel certain that the dear Duchess and Lady Thesiger will feel that they have been brought here un

on this afternoon as a sort of red letter day. Just think for yourself how startled and how interested they will be. Whether they approve, or whethe

hard, Westenra, I sha

entered our drawing rooms, and the chatter-chatter and hum-hum of ordinary society conversation began. Everything went as smoothly as it always did, and all the time my mother chatted with that courtly grace which made her look quite in the same state of life as the Duch

tenra?"

r Grace,"

ed to me the other day, is quite knocked on

have something to say to every one soon, and

e shook her head quite gaily at me. She evidently h

wever, just before I rose from my seat to advance into the middle of the room, I noticed coming up the stairs a tall, broad-shouldered man. He was accompanied by a friend of ours, a Mr. Walters, a well-known artist. I had never seen this man before, and yet I fancied, in a sort of intangible way, that his figure was familiar.

I began. I had a clear voice, and it rose above

y nudge her

Westenra recited," and then she settled h

dle of the floor,

t good form the men were in, and how aristocratic were the women. How different these men and women were from the people I had associated with during the week-the people who took care of the houses in Bloomsbury, the

. She just folded her jewelled hands in her lap, leant back in her chair, and prepared to listen. One or two of the men, I think, raised their eye-glasses to give

" I commenced. "Mother does not approve of it, but she will do it,

e laugh, and some of t

other and I are-poor. There is nothing disgraceful in being poor, is there? but at the same time it is un

I raised my eyes a little above them. It was necessary that if I went

try, on the very little which has been saved out of the wreck, but I for one do not wish to do that. I dislike what is called decent poverty, I dislike the narrow life, the stultifying life, the mean life. I am my father's daughter. You have heard of my father, that is his picture"-I

ht, though I am not sure, that I saw the tall man, with the head of closely cropped hair, push forward to look at me. Bu

very good, you and I are

e. I told it very briefly. Mother and

would I go on the Stage, for my talent did not lie in that direction, but I had certain talents, and they were of a practical sort. I could keep accounts admirably; I could, I believed, manage a house. Then I skilfully sketched in that wonderful boarding-house

sh, and I am sure mother agrees with me, to be quite frank with you. Mother and I know quite well that we are doing an absolutely unconventional thing, and that very likely you, as our friends of the past, will resent it. Those of you who do not feel that you can associate with two ladies who keep a boarding-house, need not say so in so many words, but you can give us to understand, by means know

best that I should tell you quite simply. We are neither of us ashamed, and

amongst the ladies. The men looked one and all intensely uncomfortable, and t

ore the mental eyes of these people with the keenest, most scathing criticism. Would one in all that crowd understand me? I doubted it. Perhaps in my first sens

ry plucky girl. I wish her God speed

ieved the situation much, for still the others were silent, and the

ry sorry indeed. I fear I must say good-bye now

at last there was no one left in the room but the Duchess of Wilmot and

before all those ridiculous people, who would not have understood, but I say so now to you. My dear girl, your speech was so much Greek to them. You spoke over their heads or under their feet, just as you please to put it, but comprehend you

d, turning to my mother, "what is the matter with your child? Is she quite r

It would be fifty times better for her to go as a teacher or a secretary, but to keep a boarding-house! You see for yourself, dear Mrs. Wickham, that it is impossible. As long as we live in society we must adhere

the Duchess, and she gave a profound

e Americans to come and stay with you, but it is my opinion that, with your no knowledge at all of this sort of thing, you will keep a very so-so,

ed me, squeezed my hand, and said, "Oh chil

followed m

mother, that I also love you. Do not be wilful, Westenra; give up this mad scheme. There are surely other ways op