nobody else would. So she said, stealing her hand into Johanna's
under shelter of the dim fire-light, "Selina, I wanted to have a
little family consultation. I have just received an offer."

"An offer!" repeated Miss Selina, with a visible start. "Oh, I
forgot; you went to see your friend, Miss Balquidder, this morning.
Did you get any thing out of her? Has she any nephews and nieces
wanting a governess?"

"She has no relations at all. But I will just tell you the story of
my visit."

"I hope it's interesting," said Ascott, who was lying on the sofa,
half asleep, his general habit after dinner. He woke, however, during
his Aunt Hilary's relation, and when she reached its climax, that the
offer was for her to manage a stationer's shop, he burst out heartily
laughing:

"Well, that is a rich idea. I'll come and buy of you. You'll look so
pretty standing behind a counter."

But Selina said, angrily, "You cannot even think of such a thing. It
would be a disgrace to the family."

"No," said Hilary, clasping tightly her eldest sister's hand--they
two had already talked the matter over: "I can not see any disgrace.
If our family is so poor that the women must earn their living as
well as the men, all we have to see is that it should be honestly
earned. What do you say, Ascott?"