In the Year of Jubilee

the house which it in part concealed. She was a well-grown girl of three and twenty, with the complexion and the mould of form which indicat

pleting a figure which, without being tall, had some stateliness and promised more. Her gown, trimmed with

of popular enthusiasm. She had not left home to-day, and the brilliant weather did not tempt her forth. On the table lay a new volume from the circulating library,-something about Evolution-but she had no mind to read it; it would hav

t been permitted to work his will; age and irregularity, even though the edifices be but so many illustrations of the ungainly, the insipid, and the frankly hideous, have a pleasanter effect than that of new streets built to one pattern by the mile. There are small cottages overgrown with creepers, relics of Camberwell's rusticity; rows of tall and of squat dwellings that lie behind grassy plo

the times. And Nancy hated it. She would have preferred to live even in a po

part of northern London; there, it seemed, her mother had died, a year or so after the birth of her brother Horace. The relatives of whom she knew were all on her father's side, and lived scattered about England. When she

res, had thought of preparing for examinations-only thought of it. Her father never suggested that she should use these acquirements for the earning of money; little as she knew of his affairs, it was obviously to be taken for granted that he could ensure her life-long independence. Satisfactory, this; but la

ew that one's father may be anything whatever, yet suffer no social disability, provided he reap profit enough from the pursuit. But Stephen Lord, whilst resorting daily to his warehouse in Camberwell Road-not a locality that one would care to talk about in 'c

d away his schooldays, failed at examinations, and ultimately had to be sent into 'business.' Mr Lord obtained a place for him in a large shipping agency; but it still seemed doubtful whether he would make any progress there, notwithstanding the advantage of his start; at two-and-twenty he was remu

ay. Nancy started, waved her hand, and went to open the door. Her look had wh

de summer gown exhibited her meagre frame with undue frankness; her face might have been pretty if health had filled and coloured the flesh, but

hasty walking and the jerks of a nervous little laugh. 'I want to ask

claimed Nancy. 'I always hated those formu

ch better at mathematics than I w

nd opened some pages of scrawled manuscr

c determination about her lips. Her aim, at present, was to become a graduate of London University; she was toiling in her leisure hours-the hours of exhaustion, that is to say-to prepare herself for matriculation, which she hoped to achieve in the coming winter. Of her intimate acquaintances only one could lay claim to intellectual superiority,

ions, vocabularies and rules syntactic, for thrice-boiled essence of history, ragged scraps of science, quotations at fifth hand, and all the heterogeneous rubbish of a 'crammer's' shop. When away fr

y respect Jessica's superior, she could not help a slight condescension in the tone she used to her; yet their friendship had much sincerity on both si

girlish grimace. 'He's beginning again. I can see it

t a worr

suspected that the Pasha knew of it;

father. The Prophet was her father's part

when the Prophet was taken into partners

your father p

ave to have a talk with him. If so, it will be a long talk, and a v

sn't

at 'orrible!' Nancy had a habit of facetiously quoting vulgarities; this from an acquaintance

ming often?-Mr.

, and get him married to some one. It oughtn

ome,' assented Miss Morgan, nibbling a finger

ation!-Don't you know any

eme until Nancy chose

ny lessons

ense,' Jessica replied. 'I shall have a good long day of work; except that I've promised to go in the afternoon, and have tea with t

oked up

Won't the dowag

ft her room fo

look of some spec

ith a peculiar smile, 'that's w

How do

at each other, a

'The first time, it was just at the top of the lane; he was coming away. The second

he

gave

he didn't tell me that

ighty?' ask

so much of a shrimp before him. And decidedly he was in better

Will you com

ted-then, with a

ruth, I'm afraid h

hink so, not o

eason. He may come to

e likely to be out

he table, propped her chin

es he go,

n of that kind are always travelling.

gh made an

d me once that he didn't ca

re about him than I do,' sa

u-have they anything to do

that she had ne

e, and I see it sometimes even now, but other kinds seem to have driven it out

cour

of you. You'll be a woma

what would it matter if

ordship to imagine that I went in the hope of paying my re

k,' said Jessica impatiently. 'You're too sensitive. Any o

ion! What is

iss. Morgan, with the air of one who feels her

ncy la

on it, Mr. Tarrant

himself a

like one: d

hink. He doesn't really mean

nection with Tarrant's blacklead

ot ask

hin note contrasting with the mel

l some

ld never

't? Then

be dreadfu

, with a movement of the head, 'if it teaches pe

l you come

somewhere else with

ere

after dark, and see the cro

a sly mirthfulness. He

you don't

stare at Royalties, but it's a different thing at night. It'll be wonderful, all the tra

ford it. I'm getting on so wretched

orical event. In the year 3000 it will be 'set' in an examination paper

f the matter to Jessica Morga

ll. But we should hav

gesticulated. 'That's just why I want to go! I should like to walk about all night,

to public-houses?' as

e to be tied up as we are; we're not chi

make any objectio

h us. Your people wouldn'

eumatism. The house is so dreadfully damp. We ought never to have taken it. The difference of rent will

her come, or let you have a note, to-morrow morning. If there's any objection, I'm not sure that I shan't make it the opportuni

eason with h

you are, Jess! How unworldly! It a