Virginia; “but perhaps she has a little more colour than of late. Monica, dear, as Alice can hardly use her voice, I will speak for both of us, and wish you many, many happy returns of the day. And we ask you to accept this little book from us. It may be a comfort to you from time to time.” 

 “You are good, kind dears!” replied Monica, kissing the one on the lips and the other on her thinly-tressed head. “It’s no use saying you oughtn’t to have spent money on me; you will always do it. What a nice “Christian Year”! I’ll do my best to read some of it now and then.” 

 With a half-guilty air, Virginia then brought from some corner of the room a very small but delicate currant cake. Monica must eat a mouthful of this; she always had such a wretched breakfast, and the journey from Walworth Road was enough to give an appetite. 

 “But you are ruining yourselves, foolish people!” 

 The others exchanged a look, and smiled with such a strange air that Monica could not but notice it. 

 “I know!” she cried. “There’s good news. You have found something, and better than usual Virgie.” 

 “Perhaps so. Who knows? Eat your slice of cake like a good child, and then I shall have something to tell you.” 

 Obviously the two were excited. Virginia moved about with the recovered step of girlhood, held herself upright, and could not steady her hands. 

 “You would never guess whom I have seen,” she began, when Monica was quite ready to listen. “We had a letter the other morning which did puzzle us so—I mean the writing before we opened it. And it was from—Miss Nunn!” 

 This name did not greatly stir Monica. 

 “You had quite lost sight of her, hadn’t you?” she remarked. 

 “Quite. I didn’t suppose we should ever hear of her again. But nothing more fortunate could have happened. My dear, she is wonderful!” 

 At considerable length Virginia detailed all she had learnt of Miss Nunn’s career, and described her present position. 

 “She will be the most valuable friend to us. Oh, her strength, her resolution! The way in which she discovers the right thing to do! You are to call upon her as soon as possible. This very after noon you had better go. She will relieve you 

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