The speaker was a tall, well-grown lad about fifteen. His two sisters might have been a year older and a year younger, judging by their looks. They were both sewing, but dropped their work as the lad seated himself at the opposite side of the table.

"Oh, Arthur! What have you been doing now?" asked the elder sister, with something like a sigh.

"What's this latest scrape, you bad boy?" said the other, shaking her head and yet looking affectionately at her brother.

"Humph! Bad boy!" repeated Arthur. "That has to be proved, Miss Molly."

"Well, tell us what you have done, that we may judge," she said.

"I hope you have not forgotten that Mamma has already as much trouble as she can bear," said the elder sister gravely.

"That's just it, Annie," said the lad in a changed tone. "I know that Papa's death has changed everything for all of us, and that a lad like me ought to be doing something to help."

"Well, of course that was settled, dear, and we are only waiting—"

"For something to turn up, like Mr. Micawber," interrupted her brother.

"No, Arthur, it isn't exactly like that," said Molly quickly, "for old Mr. Best is looking out for you, besides some other friends."

"Yes! He has been looking out for the past six months; but as nobody has been to him to ask if he can get them a boy, why, of course, he hasn't heard of anything that will suit me; and so I've suited myself without troubling him."

"Oh, Arthur! We cannot afford to offend old friends like that," protested his elder sister.

"Tell us what you have done, and don't beat about the bush any longer," said Molly impatiently.

"Well, I've got a place, a situation, an appointment, anything you like to call it, at a shop in the town."

"At a shop!" almost gasped his elder sister, while Molly sat with half-opened mouth, looking at Arthur in silence for a minute. At last she managed to say, "What shop is it?"

"Oh! A fal-lal shop and a tailor's shop, where they sell everything from a reel of cotton to a steam-engine."

"Oh! And are you going to be among your beloved steam-engines after all?" said Molly, in a tone of relief.

"Oh, no! Reels of cotton will be more likely, I expect," said her brother, trying to speak defiantly, but failing in the attempt.

"Now, just tell us straight out what you have done?" said Molly.

"Well, I am going as cashier to the Grand Emporium in London Road."

"Arthur, Mamma won't like that!" said the elder sister.

"I can't help it, Annie; there seems nothing else to be had. I have waited six months for Mr. Best and the others to stir themselves, and I can't wait any longer."

"But Mamma said a year longer at school would not hurt you," put in Molly eagerly.

"Hurt me! Of course it wouldn't hurt me," said Arthur, "and I've swatted as hard as any fellow since I've known about things. But the fact is, we can't afford it. You two and Mamma are doing everything to save money, why should I be the only one who is not to put his shoulder to the wheel and make things move up a bit?"

"But a shop, Arthur! What will people say when they hear that one of the Murrays has come down to a shop?" said Molly in a deprecating tone.

"Not much more than they say about us coming to live in a cottage with one servant, and a shoe-boy to keep the garden tidy. Oh, don't you make any mistake about it! Everybody has heard that we hardly know how to make ends meet, and so I may as well go and earn ten shillings a week to help as go to school and do the same sort of sums, for which Mamma has to pay money she can ill afford. I don't believe the bill for my last term has been paid yet," broke off Arthur, looking keenly at his sister as he spoke.

"But it will be paid some day, and it can't make much difference to Dr. Robinson whether you are there or not."

"Dr. Robinson makes his living by keeping school, of course, and so it is little better than robbing him for me to keep on with my classes there when I know that we cannot afford to pay the fees. Don't you see that, Tabby?" he added, seeing that his little sister looked hurt.

"Has Dr. Robinson been saying anything about this to you?" said Annie quickly.

"Humph! Dr. Robinson is a gentleman," replied Arthur. "Now let me tell you what I have done to-day. You know, young Brading is one of the fellows in my class, and he is not a bad sort either, though his father does keep a shop. We two have been pretty chummy ever since he first came, for I liked Jack, and I didn't care whether his father kept a shop or a bank. I don't see where the difference comes in."

"Boys never do see that sort of thing," commented his sister.

"Perhaps not. Well, I had some fights with other fellows about Brading before we settled it, for some of them were mean enough to send him to Coventry, till I let them see a few of us wouldn't have it. So, being chummy, Brading knew I was on the look-out for a situation, and this morning he said to me: 'Murray, would you mind going into our shop? I was to have taken the post myself if the fellow could have stopped a bit longer, but he's going abroad, and must go at once. The Pater told me about it last night, and when we'd had a talk, he told me I might ask you to go and see him.' And so I went."

"And actually promised to go and serve reels of cotton in that shop?" demanded his sister.

"Oh, well, I don't know about the cotton! Mr. Brading says my duties will be in the counting-house under the accountant most of the time, though I may occasionally have to help at the cashier's desk in the shop. There! Now you know the best and the worst of it, and I hope Hannah won't keep me much longer without my tea," concluded Arthur.

Molly sprang to her feet in a moment. "How stupid I am not to remember that there is only one servant now! We told Hannah she might have a half-holiday this afternoon, and forgot all about getting the tea. It shall be ready soon," added Molly, as she went out of the room.

She was just stirring the kitchen fire and trying to make the kettle boil when Arthur came in.

"I thought as much," he said, as he looked at the black grate. "Here, let me have the wood while you set the things on the tray, and then I will carry it into the dining-room while you cut the bread and butter. Why shouldn't we learn to help ourselves?" he added, as he stirred the little bit of fire into a blaze with the help of two or three sticks of wood.

"Well, you are clever!" said Molly, when she heard the kettle singing the next minute. "Hannah filled the scuttle with coals, and she said I should want all of them to keep the fire going and make the kettle boil for tea. But I forgot there was nobody out here to look after things, and so it went quite low."

"And we have saved a scuttle of coals," remarked Arthur. "It will pay to let Hannah have half-holidays if we save coals like that. Unless you very much dislike getting tea ready," he added.

"But I don't, Arthur. You know I always do like doing things for myself. I should not mind doing all the sweeping and dusting, if people did not know; but you see, if people were to hear that we did not keep even one servant it would be so dreadful!"

"For Mamma, you mean?"

"For all of us—you and all, Arthur. Oh, no, we could not do without a servant! Though Hannah is very tiresome and wastes things dreadfully. But is it quite settled that you are going to this shop? I can see Annie is very much upset about it, and I do think we ought to study our friends a little; don't you, dear?"

"Yes, I do, if we can manage it; but then if we can't, what then?"

"Oh, but you could go and tell this Mr. Brading that your friends did not wish you to accept this appointment—and—and—"

"But look here, Molly. You say you must keep a servant, and that she wastes things dreadfully. Don't you see that what I can earn will help to pay for what Hannah wastes?"

"You ridiculous boy! As though we should let you do that!" exclaimed Molly, as she poured the boiling water into the tea-pot.

"Boy!" repeated Arthur. "You forget that I am assistant-accountant to the great emporium of Brading and Co. Boy, indeed! I ought to be growing up by this time at any rate."

They were both laughing when they carried the tea into the dining-room, but Annie was still looking very grave.

"Have you been to tell Mamma?" asked Molly.

"Not yet. She is a little put-out because tea is so late. It was very careless of both of us."

"It was my fault," said Molly, "for I promised to do Hannah's work; and so I will take Mamma's tea up to her, and then I can explain."

While she was speaking Molly went to the chiffonier cupboard, but could not find what she wanted. "Didn't you order some biscuits yesterday, Annie?" she asked, as she peered into the corners.

"Oh, never mind the biscuits! Mamma will like bread and butter to-day."

"Shall I carry the tray up for you?" said Arthur, as he opened the door for his sister.

"No, no; Molly had better go. You might upset Mamma," interrupted Annie.

Mrs. Murray was an invalid, and had all her meals in her own sitting-room upstairs, seldom taking any part in the family life. It had always been so, as long as Arthur could remember. Occasionally friends would call and spend a few hours with her, and her two daughters of course spent a good deal of their time in her room; but since she had been obliged to give up the attendance and company of her own private maid, she had been fairly content with her two Persian cats, who always had their quarters in her sitting-room, sharing their mistress's meals for the most part. It was for these favourites that the biscuits were wanted, and Molly knew there would be complaining when her mother saw there was only bread and butter on the tray.

"Poor Tuffy and Bob have been wanting their tea for the last hour," said Mrs. Murray, merging her own complaint into that of her pets, as they came purring round at the sight of Molly and the tray.

"It is all my fault, Mamma, that tea is so late; I promised to see to Hannah's work, and forgot all about it."

"I don't blame you, Molly. Of course we never can do with only one servant, and I told Annie so from the first. You have forgotten the biscuits," she added sharply, as she looked over the tray. "My poor Tuffy, they never think of you!" added the lady.

"There are no biscuits in the house, Mamma, and—and so we thought the cats might have a piece of bread and butter for once."

"Cats!" exclaimed the lady. "If they were mere cats, and not my pets and companions, they might be expected to eat common food, but you know they are dainty and delicate as I am myself, and they cannot eat what mere cats could."

"But, Mamma, Annie said last week that we were using too many biscuits in the house now."

For answer Mrs. Murray burst into tears. "Take the tray away," she said; "I cannot eat and see my pets starve."

For once the girl's bright face clouded, and she felt as though she would like to kick the pampered beasts. She ventured to break off a piece of the thin bread and butter, and try to coax one of the cats to eat it while her mother was sobbing. But the cat sniffed disdainfully at it, and then uttered a plaintive mew to attract her mistress's attention.

"What are you doing to the poor thing?" said Mrs. Murray, removing the pocket-handkerchief from her face. "Take the tray away," she repeated, "I do not want anything now."

"Oh, Mamma, do try to eat something!" said Molly pleadingly. "Annie will be so upset if I take the tray down,—and—and there are other things to worry about besides cats," blurted out Molly.

"Then you and Annie must manage it between you, for I cannot bear any more trouble;" and the invalid turned her head on her silk pillow and subsided into gentle sobs.

Molly did not move the tray, but sat down beside her mother, and tried to soothe her much as she would a sick child. But she could not coax her to have any tea, and when she heard Arthur's footstep approaching, she took up the tray and hurried out to meet him, fur fear he should say anything that would disturb her mother still more.

"I was just coming to see what was the matter," he said, taking the tray from her hands. "What is it?" he asked, seeing the tea and bread and butter had scarcely been touched.

"Oh, nothing much! Only Mamma is not quite well, and I am afraid we shall not be able to tell her your news to-night."

Molly took care not to give her brother the chance of going into the room to say a word about it, but she and Annie tried all their powers of persuasion to induce him to tell Mr. Brading that he could not accept the situation, as his friends did not think it good enough for the son of a county gentleman.

Arthur listened to all the arguments they brought forward with as much patience as he could muster. But at last he said, "Look here, if you were a boy like me, and not a couple of girls brought up in cotton-wool, for fear you should hear a word of the truth about things, you would know that the Murrays, if they are a county family, have been going downhill for years and years. People say that Papa ought to have given up the old house long before he did,—and—and—"

But there Arthur stopped, for he had resolved that neither mother nor sisters should hear the hard words that had been said, if he could prevent it, and so he sat silent for a minute, while Molly shed a few quiet tears over what she deemed her brother's obstinacy and general wrongheadedness.

"I don't think Dr. Robinson ought to take such boys as this young Brading," she said at last.

"Brading is every bit as good as we are," cried Arthur indignantly.

"I suppose you will allow us to have our own opinion about that," said his elder sister rather stiffly.

She and Molly began clearing the tea-things away, and when that was done, Annie went to sit with her mother, and tried to coax her into a more cheerful mood.

Molly stayed in the kitchen to wash up the tea-things, and Arthur took up a book, but by the time Molly came back he had forgotten his anger, and was ready to listen to the complaints against Tuffy and Bob.

"Mamma doesn't like to hear them called cats, she is so fond of them, and won't let them eat common food; but the fact is, Arthur, we can't afford to pay tenpence a pound for biscuits for them."

"But you can buy cheaper ones," said her brother quickly, "I have seen them in the shop windows for half that price. If that is what has upset Mamma, I'll soon put things straight, and then when you have settled things to the satisfaction of the tabbies, just say a word for me, like a dear girl."

He did not wait to hear what his sister answered, but dashed out to buy some cheap biscuits out of his own pocket-money, and then Molly was sent upstairs with them on a delicate china plate.

But on the stairs she met her sister coming down. "Mamma thinks she could eat a filleted sole," she said with something like a weary sigh.

Molly turned back with her to the dining-room, still carrying Arthur's peace-offering.

"Won't the pampered beasts eat them?" he asked, when he saw that the biscuits had not been touched.

"I have not tried them yet," said Molly, "but if Mamma has made up her mind that they are to have filleted sole, she is not likely to let them eat cheap biscuits."

Annie's eyes were full of unshed tears as she asked Arthur if he would go to the fishmonger's for her.

"But—but—you cannot afford to buy sole at two shillings a pound to feed cats, even if they are Persians and Mamma's."

"Now, Arthur, you don't know anything about housekeeping, and so you must leave me to manage all that. Mamma is very poorly this evening, and has had no tea, but she thinks she could eat a little bit of sole if I cooked it for her myself, so do go to the fishmonger's for me and try to get what she fancies."

Molly went with him to the street door. "If it was for Mamma herself, I should not mind so much," she whispered, "but I shall do those cats a mischief one of these days, I am afraid."

"Make haste, Arthur," said his elder sister at the same moment.

And Arthur ran down the little garden path, his mind filled with a new thought that he almost hated himself for harbouring, and yet it would press itself upon his attention, try as he would to put it away from him.

[CHAPTER II]

A START IN LIFE

"I SAY, young man, what do you mean by this; coming along the street at the pace of a steam-engine? I've a good mind to call the police."

Arthur had collided with an elderly gentleman at the corner of the street, nearly knocking him down, and had paused in his onward career to make sure that he had not hurt him.

"I am very sorry, sir," he said, as soon as he could get his breath, for the run and the sudden collision had made him stagger as well as his victim. "I hope you are not hurt?" he added.

"I—I think I know your voice," said the gentleman, placing his hand on Arthur's shoulder and peering into his face. "Isn't your name Murray?" he asked the next moment.

"Oh, yes! And you are Mr. Andrews, who always managed Papa's affairs?"

"Well, as much as he would let me," said the lawyer.

"Perhaps you would not mind helping me to decide about something," said the lad eagerly. "Girls don't know much about such things, and my Mother doesn't care about anything but Persian cats."

There was a bitterness in his tone as he said this that did not escape the notice of the lawyer, but he made no comment beyond saying: "Tell me facts, the facts of the case you want me to advise upon."

"Well, sir, you know I must get a situation of some sort; our money has nearly all gone, and I want to help my sisters, of course."

"The money went years ago," muttered the old gentleman under his breath, but not so low that Arthur did not catch the words, and he paused a minute to think of their import before he added: "Mr. Brading at the 'Great Emporium' has offered me a situation in his counting-house."

"Has he though?" said the lawyer quickly. "Well, it is uncommonly good of Brading, and you are a lucky fellow to get such chance to make a beginning. How came Brading to hear about you?"

"Oh! Jack Brading is in my class at school, and we have always been good chums, though some of the fellows did not like it, because his father kept a shop. Thank you, sir! You were a friend of my father's, I know, and so it will be all right. Good-night!"

And before Mr. Andrews was aware of it, Arthur was off down the street at the same railroad pace as before.

"That was a wonderful piece of good fortune, to meet Andrews just at this time. Now I can tell Brading that my mother is not so well, but that my father's man of business thinks I ought to accept his offer." Arthur whispered this to himself as he stopped at the fishmonger's door and looked in at the well-stocked shop.

Arthur had to pause before going in, for he was not in the habit of fetching errands, and he had almost forgotten what he wanted, until he heard a customer inside ask the price of sole, and then he remembered what he had been sent for, and was careful to note the price given to the other customer.

"Eighteen pence a pound," said the fishmonger, picking up a fish and holding it up. "That will weigh about a pound," he said, putting it into the scale.

"It is dreadfully dear," said the customer dubiously.

"Not for sole, ma'am, at this time of year. Can I serve you, sir?" added the man, turning to Arthur.

"Yes, I want a small sole filleted, enough for a sick lady's supper—for Mrs. Murray," added Arthur.

The man looked at him for a minute, as if mutely asking a question, and then served the lady. When she had gone out of the shop, he leaned over the counter and said in a quiet tone: "You don't want it added to the account, I hope, sir?"

"Oh, no, I have the money!" replied Arthur. But his face flushed crimson with pain and shame as he said, "It must be a small sole, please."

The man weighed several before he could get one to suit Arthur, for the boy had suddenly decided that he must not spend more than a shilling for the fish, and at last he got what he wanted and started homeward. This time he went through the by-streets as the nearest way back, and came upon another fish shop, where they sold fish ready fried.

"Now this will be just the thing for those beastly cats," said Arthur to himself, as a man placed a dish of smoking-hot slices of fish in the window.

In a moment, he dashed in and put twopence on the counter. "Give me two pennyworth quick," he said.

The man soon handed Arthur a greasy packet of fish wrapped in a piece of newspaper, and the lad dashed off again.

"What a long time you have been!" said Molly, who opened the door to him.

And as he entered, a faint mew came from the stairs.

"Poor pussy!" said Arthur, and he held the greasy parcel towards her. The Persian caught a whiff of the tasty contents, and uttered a louder mew, while Arthur ran off to the kitchen followed by Tuffy.

The next minute, Mrs. Murray appeared at the top of the stairs, and Molly ran up to see what had brought her mother out of her room.

"My poor pets are so hungry!" said the lady plaintively.

"Yes, Mamma, and so are you, I am sure. Arthur has brought the fish, and Annie has gone to cook it before Hannah comes in." And as she spoke, an appetizing smell of fried fish came up the stairs, and the other cat pricked up her ears and sniffed, and finally went out of the room after her rival, closely followed by Molly, whose keener nose had detected a difference in the smell that had drawn Bob downstairs. She closed her mother's door, and opened the staircase window as she passed, and then ran down to the kitchen, where she fully expected to hear that Arthur was perpetrating some mischief.

There were the cats, each with a plate of nicely-browned fish, which they were growling over with delight, while Arthur was laughing and Annie looking on, half-amused, half-alarmed, with the raw fish only just put into the frying-pan.

"What is it? What have you done?" asked Molly.

"Bought the beasts two pennyworth of fried fish instead of giving eighteen pence a pound for soles for them. And just see how they enjoy it too!" added Arthur, as one of the cats looked up at him, licking her lips, as if asking for more.

"Well, if it doesn't make them ill, I shall be very glad, for it was such a small fish you brought, Mamma would hardly have had a bit," said Annie.

"Look here, we must do something like this to lessen our expenses," said Arthur. "How much do we owe the fishmonger?" he suddenly asked.

"Oh, a few pounds! I shall have to let Mr. Andrews know that all our money has gone again."

"But he said you would have to make it last until the end of the quarter," exclaimed Molly. "But I can't—it's impossible. I have not been able to pay the bills as it is," retorted Annie. "Mamma must have what she fancies; it is so little she can eat."

"Well, we must feed the cats down here, and then that will cost less, though I don't believe I should ever have thought of it, if Arthur had not bought this fish. Why, they have had a better supper for twopence than if Arthur had spent another shilling for filleted soles, and I am sure they have enjoyed it quite as much."

"Of course they have, and the fish is good, or people would not eat it, even if they are poor," said Arthur.

His elder sister shook her head. She was not so sure about that.

In the narrow and exclusive circle in which she had been brought up, she knew nothing of the trials and struggles of the poor, and so Arthur's daring experiment of bringing home food that only poor people ate was somewhat of a shock to her notions of propriety, even though it was for the cats and he had been able to save a shilling for her by the transaction.

Of course she had heard at the time of her father's death that very little of their property was left, but she thought that, having given up the old home and sold most of the furniture except what had been required to furnish her mother's room, the trouble was at an end, and they could have all they needed for life, with one servant in the cottage, without thought or stint.

But the bringing of this vulgar fried fish into the house seemed like bringing an element of unrest to the two sisters.

The next morning Molly was awake very early, and she soon found that her sister, who slept in an adjoining bed, was also wakeful.

"Did Arthur tell you that the fishmonger as good as asked him for the money before he served him with the fish last night?" she asked.

"No, dear; but I should not wonder, for other trades-people have asked me lately to settle their bills. I cannot understand it, for I know Papa used to let them run for a year, or even longer."

There was silence for a minute or two, and then Molly said: "I have been thinking it would be better to let Arthur go to Brading's; he said last night it was downright dishonest to owe money that we cannot pay, and yet object to him going to earn some to help us. Don't you think we had better let him try what he can do at this shop?" said Molly wistfully.

The fact was, Arthur had managed to get hold of his younger sister before she went to bed, and had poured out all his trouble to her.

"I dawdled along," he said, "for nearly half-way to the fish shop thinking about Mamma and her cats, until it seemed to me that we were nothing to her, and that she could not judge fairly what was good for us.

"Then I started to run, and nearly knocked somebody down, who turned out to be Papa's man of business, Mr. Andrews. I spoke to him about Brading's offer, and he thought I could not do better than take such a chance."

Molly repeated Arthur's story as nearly as she could, word for word. "Annie," she added, "I am telling you just what Arthur said, and of course he will take the advice of a man like Andrews; but still, I know he would be glad if you said to him, 'I am willing that you should try what you can do for us'."

"It is Mamma who should say this," said Annie with a groan.

"But she won't, you know she won't. She will fret herself ill, and tell us it is our duty to maintain the family honour, regardless of what our likes and dislikes may be. The cats come first, I do believe now, and then the family honour. Arthur says he doesn't think there is much of it left to take care of."

"Oh, Molly, why do you let him talk to you like that?" said Annie reproachfully. "He is only an ignorant boy, and quite ready to do or say anything that is mischievous. You ought not to encourage him to talk in that fashion, but tell him to remember that he is a Murray, and therefore bound to take care of the family honour at all costs."

Molly did not answer, for her sister spoke very severely; but she was glad to see Arthur seated at the breakfast-table when she went downstairs, for she always waited upon her mother before she went to her own breakfast. She was relieved to find that Annie was not looking quite so stern as when she first got up.

Arthur nodded and winked as Molly drew up her chair to the table, and Annie, as she handed her a cup of coffee, said in a quiet tone: "Arthur is not going to school this morning, he is going to see Mr. Brading at ten o'clock."

It was Annie's way of doing most things, and the others knew it. It was not a very gracious way, perhaps, but Arthur was glad even of this grudging consent, for Mr. Brading had insisted that he should consult his friends before giving an answer about the proffered situation.

Arthur went off in good spirits, and Molly began to wonder what she could do to make a little festival when he came home. At last she thought she would ask Hannah to make an apple-pudding for dinner, for Arthur was very fond of apple-pudding, and would be sure to appreciate this little attention to his taste.

But when she went to the kitchen to prefer her request, she was told that it was quite impossible for her to have what she wanted.

"I've never served apple-pudding without custard, and Miss Annie says I must be more careful and not use so many eggs, so you certainly cannot have any pudding to-day."

"It was for Arthur I wanted it," pleaded Molly.

But Hannah was inexorable. Annie had told her she must lessen household expenses somehow, and the old servant had turned cross at once. She had been with them for some years, and neither master nor mistress had ever told her such a thing before. She resented it now as though it had been an imputation upon her honesty, and she gave Molly such a rating, with this for a text, that the poor girl was glad to take refuge in the needlework that she and Annie had set themselves to do, that they might save the cost of new table-cloths if they could.

At dinner-time she began to watch for Arthur, for she longed to hear how he had got on. But the afternoon passed, bringing no news of their brother, and it was not until between seven and eight o'clock that he arrived.

"Why, where have you been, Arthur?" exclaimed Molly, jumping up to greet him as he came in.

"Did you think I was lost, or had gone for a soldier, that I did not come home to dinner?" asked Arthur teasingly.

"Have you had your tea as well as your dinner?" asked Molly, while his elder sister looked her questions.

"I think it will be all right, Annie, when I get used to the work," he said. "The chief accountant is a gentleman, and he says if I am very careful, he thinks I shall get on very well. It will be a good thing for your housekeeping, Annie, not to have me home to dinner every day. We all dine in the house, and have tea too. Sometimes I may have to go down and help at the shop desk, but, as a rule, I shall not see much more of the shops than I should if I was in a bank, for the counting-house is upstairs in another part of the house. I say, Annie, won't it be a good thing for you that I am to have my dinner there?" said Arthur again.

"Why?" asked his sister, in genuine astonishment.

"It must cost something to keep a big hungry boy like me in pies and custards, to say nothing of the meat and vegetables."

"What makes you talk like this, Arthur?" exclaimed Annie scornfully. "As if the price of a meal could matter. Of course we do not keep company now as we did—how can we, with only Hannah to do everything?—But I should think we could afford to have what we needed for ourselves!"

Annie was very scornful as well as angry, and Arthur was prevented from saying any more about his new situation to either of his sisters, for Annie took care that he did not get a chance of talking to Molly before supper, and when that was over, he was glad to go to bed. Although he had not said a word about it, he felt tired and sleepy after his close attention to his work.

Molly noticed the next morning that he still looked a little sleepy when he got up.

"Yes, I do feel a bit tired," admitted Arthur, with a yawn, "but you cannot wonder at that, for of course all the work is strange to me."

"But you don't mind it?" queried Molly.

"Mind it! Why, a fellow has got to conquer his distaste for close work if ever he is to do anything in the world. Dr. Robinson has often told me that my failing was want of application, and if ever I wanted to be successful, I must make up my mind to stick to work, whatever it may be, and I mean to do it too," added Arthur resolutely.

Molly looked at him admiringly. "I do hope you will succeed," she said in a low, earnest tone.

"Well, I mean to have a good try for it, I can tell you. Andrews seemed to think I had a very good chance at Brading's. Mind you, the work is stiff, and Mr. Bristow, the chief accountant, is very particular."

"Of course he would have to be," interrupted Molly, "for I suppose the figures now mean real money, and if you got any part of the sum wrong, it would mean loss of money to Mr. Brading, or else that he would cheat somebody. Oh, Arthur, I do see how particular you have to be! It is quite different from what it was at school, when, if you got a sum wrong, it only meant the loss of a mark to yourself. Now your sums mean the loss of money to other people."

"Well done, Molly! That was just what I was thinking when I was dressing this morning, but I don't think I could have explained it so clearly."

"Isn't it rather nice to think it is real things you have to do with now?" asked Molly, rather wistfully. "Think how much better it is than our life here at home. All we have to do is to look after Mamma and the cats, and see that nothing happens to trouble them. Yes, I wish I was a man, to do real work in the world," added Molly with a sigh.

"If I stay talking here any longer, I shall be late for my work, and then I shall have Bristow down upon me with a solemn warning. The cashier's boy told me to-day that he was always down on people if they don't keep their time, and I have to be at the office ready for work by a quarter to nine."

[CHAPTER III]

MRS. MURRAY

"OH, I say, you girls have no idea what a great place ours is! I had to go all over it this morning, and Jack came to show me the way."

This was Arthur's greeting when he walked into the dining-room after his second day's work.

Annie looked up from her sewing to listen, while Molly said, "Tell us all about it. I am glad it is not just an ordinary shop."

"Oh, well, everybody knows Bradings are in a big way of business, but I never thought there were so many shops and factories. Why, the buildings down both the side streets and along the road behind the London Road all belong to Mr. Brading, and I have to be postman and deliver the letters every morning. It is jolly fun, I can tell you, with Jack to help me, and he is coming every morning for the first week, for fear I should lose my way in some of the passages and warehouses."

"But why can't the postman deliver the letters himself?" asked Molly, when her brother paused.

He shook his head. "I know nothing about that. All I know is that a private letter-bag is brought from the post office every morning, and Mr. Bristow told me when I went in, that it would be my duty to take charge of this and deliver the letters in the different departments. I was just wondering how I was to know where to find the places when Jack Brading rushed in.

"'I'm coming to help you with the letters, old fellow,' he said, slipping off his coat and turning to do the polite to old Bristow, as he told me afterwards, because Bristow is my chief, you see, and he might cut up rough even with Jack if he thought we were up to larks with the letters.

"Jack showed me how to sort them first. There was a stack, I tell you. Every department has a bag of its own, except the accountant's and those addressed to Mr. Brading personally. Those for our department I hand to Mr. Bristow as soon as I have got them all together, and Mr. Brading's, I take to his room, which is next to our offices; and then when all the other bags are ready, I sling them over my shoulder and start off on my round. Jack insisted upon carrying half the bags for me this morning, and in every department, he introduced me to its chief manager as 'Mr. Murray, our assistant-accountant.'

"There was no larking about Jack while he was doing this, I can tell you," said Arthur impressively. "But as we got through the place well within the time allowed, we turned into the gymnasium and let off steam for five minutes. Mr. Brading allows this to the youngest of the crowd, and it proves that he knows what he is about, and how he can get the best work out of a fellow. It took us nearly an hour before we gave up the last bag in the furniture warehouse, and as the clock was striking, I went up to my desk and Jack ran off to school."

"How late he would be!" put in Molly.

"Yes, but Mr. Brading had arranged it all with Dr. Robinson, and so Jack would only miss one of his classes, and there would be no time wasted in taking excuses to the doctor. Mr. Brading believes that time is money, even a school-boy's time."

"Hannah ought to go there and take a lesson," commented Annie.

"What time do you think we had our one-o'clock dinner to-day?" said Molly, laughing. "It was just half-past two by the dining-room clock, and when Annie told her of it she said, 'Time was of no consequence here'!"

"It never was to us, according to old Hannah. A good thing for me I don't have to come home to dinner, or I should have to live on bread and cheese half the week, I suppose."

"No, you wouldn't," said Molly promptly. "If Hannah would not begin to get the dinner ready in good time, I would go to the kitchen and get it myself. I know enough about cooking now to do most things, for I like to learn and Hannah likes to teach me. So if you wish to come home to dinner, only say what time you want it, and I will have it on the table all ready."

Annie laughed. "How bravely we talk!" she said. "But I should not like to face old Hannah on such an errand."

"Well, I'd manage it somehow if Arthur had to come home to his dinner," protested Molly.

"Well, I am glad I'm not at Hannah's tender mercies now, as I was when I went to school. But I should like some pudding for supper; we don't get pudding every day, and I miss that. So you might make me a pudding sometimes, Molly, or save me a piece from dinner to be warmed up in the oven. It won't matter so much what time that is ready, as I have only to go to bed afterwards."

"But it does matter," said Molly quickly. "I told Hannah to-day that she must have the supper ready for us at nine o'clock, or else it is late before you can get to bed, and I was reading in a book—"

But Arthur would not listen to what she had read.

And Annie laughed and said, "Listen to the old lady!"

"Never mind, Molly," said Arthur. "'Life is real, life is earnest', and we are beginning to find it out, you and I. We can't all indulge in Persian cats and—"

"Don't, Arthur," said his elder sister reprovingly. "You forget Mamma is an invalid, and can only interest herself in small things. Go up and see her now before Hannah serves her dinner." For the patient always insisted upon a hot dinner being carried to her room at eight o'clock.

"Have you told her that I have got a post yet?" asked Arthur.

"No, I have not had an opportunity," replied Annie, with something like a sigh, as she recalled the several efforts she had made to introduce the matter, and how each time, as if guessing that her daughter wished to say something that might prove unpleasant, Mrs. Murray had lifted up her hand as to ward off a blow, and had said plaintively:

"Don't tell me anything that isn't nice to-day, for my nerves are so shaken I could not bear it."

Annie told Arthur something of this now, by way of warning not to say anything that would disturb the invalid just as she was about to have her dinner, for it would inevitably spoil her appetite.

"All right!" said Arthur, as he went upstairs wondering when his mother could be told of the great step he had taken.

"Don't make a noise, Arthur," murmured the invalid in a feeble, complaining tone. "I am afraid I cannot bear you talking to me to-night," she added the next minute.

So Arthur pulled Tuffy's tail, and talked to Bob, and felt quite relieved when Hannah brought in the tray, and his daily visit was over, for he was afraid he should forget his sister's warning and break out with something he had seen or heard during the day. He did not want to do this until Annie had broken the news to her gently.

"I say, Annie, tell the Mater what I have done, and get it over," he said when he went downstairs.

"I wish I could, but you do not know how weak Mamma is getting."

Arthur went to the kitchen in search of Molly. "It is a beastly nuisance! I can't open my mouth to the Mater for fear of making her faint," he said hotly.

"But what are we to do? You know she never could bear anything disagreeable. It always made her ill, and we have always had to be careful and keep everything from her that was likely to disturb her. Papa said one day it would kill her if she knew about his money."

"Well, it seems as though we had all been a set of ostriches in this house, and stuck our heads in the sand instead of facing the difficulties. Papa did it, I know. It might have been to save Mamma, or it might have been to save himself trouble, we cannot tell; but we youngsters are not likely to find things easy. So the sooner we make up our minds to do the thing we ought, whether it is easy or hard, the better it will be for everybody concerned."

Molly looked at him questioningly. "Won't you tell me what you mean, Arthur? Is this why you were in such a hurry to get a situation?"

"Partly. Of course Papa's death compelling us to give up our old home and all our property set me thinking, and then I heard a few things from the fellows at school."

"What things?" demanded Molly angrily.

"Oh, nothing much!" said Arthur. And then, to turn the conversation, he said, "Are you cooking that for me, Molly?"

"Yes, dear. We did not have any pudding for dinner to-day, so I am making you an omelette with plenty of eggs."

"Don't let it cost much, Molly, because I know somehow that we cannot afford it."

"But—but what is it? Why are we so poor as you make out?" asked his sister in a perplexed tone. "We gave up everything when Papa died, and—"

"Yes, it seems we were obliged to do it. The same thing would have happened if Papa had lived, I have heard."

"But why should it?" demanded Molly in an imperative tone. "Everybody knows we are one of the oldest county families, and—"

"Yes, but look here, Moll; it isn't enough to be an old county family in these days. Everybody has to put his shoulder to the wheel and do something, and our folks have just been content to sit down and eat up the land, instead of trying to improve it, or wait for something to turn up, as Annie wanted me to do. That sort of thing is played out, and it would have been a good deal better for us if somebody had told Papa the truth about things as they told me."

"Who told you?" asked Molly.

"One of our fellows at school, and I gave him a black eye for it, for he said my father wasn't honest, living as he did."

"Arthur, how dare anybody say such a thing of dear Papa! I am sure he was a perfect gentleman," exclaimed Molly, flaming with wrath.

"Yes, but he hated trouble, and would never bother his head about business, and everything was in a muddle when his father died, and the muddle got worse, of course, as time went on and more money was wanted, and things were never put straight."

"How did you find out all about this?" asked his sister.

"Partly from Papa himself. I asked him one day, about a year ago, if I could not go to Eton with a fellow who was going just then, and he said he should like to send me, but he could not afford it, we were 'as poor as church mice'. Then I had that quarrel with Strangeways, and he told me Papa was no better than a swindler, living as we did and never paying our debts. Of course I didn't believe that, but I kept my eyes and ears open from that time, and I can pretty well make out that Strangeways didn't tell much of a lie after all. Now you can understand, Molly, why I wanted to earn some money as soon as I could. And—and we must try to pay for everything we have, for it is dishonest, I can see, to eat and drink things we cannot afford to pay for."

Molly heaved a sigh. "Does Annie know about this?" she asked.

"No, not a word, and I did not mean to tell you until I was obliged. But you had better try and remember when Mamma wants sole for those cats!"

"What are you saying about the cats, Master Arthur?" said Hannah, bustling into the kitchen at this moment. "What mess is this, Miss Molly?" she demanded, turning to the frying-pan on the fire.

"Oh, dear! I hope it isn't spoiled. I was making an omelette for Arthur's supper, only I forgot all about it while I was talking to—"

"Wasting my eggs in this fashion!" snorted Hannah.

"They won't be wasted. I can eat it, Hannah," said Arthur.

"Eat it, then," she said, turning the half-cooked omelette out upon a plate.

Arthur carried it to the dining-room, where supper was laid. "It's just as good, Moll, as though Hannah had roasted herself over the fire at it," said Arthur good-naturedly.

A few days later, as Arthur was returning home in the evening, he met Hannah a short distance from their own gate. "I've come out without the front-door key, Mr. Arthur, but you won't mind coming round the kitchen way with me, will you, for I want to speak to you."

"All right, Hannah! fire away. Has Molly been making any more omelettes for supper?"

"No, sir; if it was nothing worse than that it wouldn't matter, but that old Andrews has been here to-day at his old tricks. I can't abide that man. He never came to see your poor papa but he upset him, and now he's begun on the young ladies. I wish I'd had my dish-cloth handy when he went out and I'd ha' pinned it to his tail; coming here interfering! I wish I was his wife, I'd let him know," concluded Hannah as she led the way into the kitchen.

"But what was it he came about?" asked Arthur in a serious tone. But he did not wait for Hannah's reply, he went on into the dining-room, where his sisters were sitting at work as usual. Molly's face bore traces of tears still, but Annie was looking calm and reserved.

WENT ON INTO THE DINING-ROOM
WHERE HIS SISTERS WERE SITTING AT WORK.

"So Andrews has been here to-day!" he said.

"How do you know?" demanded Annie sharply, for she had made up her mind that nothing could be done in the matter, and therefore she should not tell her brother of the lawyer's visit.

"We may as well tell him, Annie," said Molly; "he knows more about things than we do. Mr. Andrews says we are living beyond our income, and we must curtail our expenses somehow," she explained.

"The butcher and the fishmonger have been bothering me to pay their bills, and so, of course, I had to send and ask Mr. Andrews to forward me a cheque to do it with. And instead of sending it, he came to tell me that there was no more money to be had out of all our property," added Annie in a tone of intense bitterness.

"And Hannah says she has never been used to being told she must be careful with this, that, and the other, and won't have it now, so has given us notice," said Molly, as if this must fill up their cup of woe.

Arthur rested his chin on his hands and his elbows on the table, to think over what his sisters had told him. "I wish I knew just how things are," he said at last. "I wonder whether I could see Mr. Andrews to-night if I went there?"

"But why should you go?" interrupted Annie. "It is getting late, and you must be tired, I am sure, after all the work you have to do at that shop. I don't see how we are to live on less money than we do!" concluded Annie doggedly.

"Well, I'll go and see if I can have a talk with Mr. Andrews. If there is a disagreeable thing to do the sooner it's done the better." And, picking up his cap, Arthur went out without giving his sisters time for further protest.

"I am very glad you have come, Mr. Murray," said the lawyer, when Arthur was announced. "I tried to explain to your sister this afternoon that every bit of the property has been mortgaged to its full, that is, to its present, value. By and by it will be worth more, and may bring in a fair rental if we can only hold on for a bit longer, and keep the interest on the mortgages paid up. But to do this I cannot afford to allow your sisters more than fifty pounds a year, besides the seventy-five pounds that is secured to your mother. I tried to explain this to them to-day, pointing out to them the advantage it would be to all of you, in years to come. But if they cannot lessen the household expenses, there will be nothing for it but to sell the property for about half what it will be worth in a few years' time. I should think it might be done. What do you think, Mr. Arthur?"

"I don't know much about housekeeping, and what it costs, but you know I am earning a little now that would add to the income. Only I suppose they would have to be careful and regulate their expenditure, and that is what we have not done."

"No Murray ever did it. Your family has been an easy-going, careless people, shunning all the responsibilities of life as far as possible, as long as a penny could be wrung out of the land, without anything being done to improve it. That is the secret of the whole matter, Mr. Arthur. But as you have shown yourself a sensible lad in taking this situation at Brading's, I am beginning to hope I may yet live to see the property partially cleared at least, so that your mother and sisters may be provided for in years to come."

"Thank you, Mr. Andrews. I think you may take it that my sisters will agree with me that we must certainly live within the income you can afford to pay us on these terms."

And Arthur went home, feeling very thankful that the matter had been explained to him so far, and that Molly at least would be ready and willing to fall in with the lawyer's plans.

When he reached home, however, he found that fresh trouble had arisen. Hannah said she must have a girl to help her, or she would leave at once.

"Then she had better go," said Arthur promptly, "and we will have a gas-stove fixed in the kitchen, as they have at Brading's; it will save a lot of trouble in cooking. How much do you pay Hannah?" he asked.

"Twenty pounds a year," answered Annie.

"Well, we cannot afford to part with so much as that in the future, and so I will tell Hannah that we mean to try a younger servant. Don't you think you could manage?"

"I am sure we could," answered Molly; "but who is to tell Hannah? She will be so disagreeable."

"Oh, I'll manage that!" said Arthur.

And he went at once, and said they could not afford to spend as much as they had been doing, and must have a young girl to help with the work. He was rather relieved when she said that she would leave the next day, though they heard later that she had previously arranged to go to another situation the following day.

Arthur's inheritance

Arthur's Inheritance

[CHAPTER I]

[CHAPTER II]

[CHAPTER III]

[CHAPTER IV]