How long she might have wept she could never say, but her tears were
suddenly brought to an abrupt termination. When she entered her
mother's room she had not locked the door, and now a voice sounded at
her elbow:

"Eh!--my word--dear, dear, deary me! Now, Miss Primrose, to think of
you creeping up like this, and 'worriting' yourself over the secrets
in the little bit of a cabinet. Your poor mamma knew what she was
about when she kept that cabinet locked, and for all the good they'll
ever do, she might well have burnt the bits of fallals she kept there.
There, darling, don't spoil your pretty eyes crying over what's dead
and gone, and can never be put right again--never. Shut up the
cabinet, Miss Primrose, and put your hair a bit straight, for Mrs.
Ellsworthy, from Shortlands, is down in the drawing-room, and wanting
to see you most particular 'bad.'"




CHAPTER VI.

MANY VISITORS.


Miss Martineau's plans had been full of directness. Having made up her
mind, she wasted no precious moments. The girls must be helped; she
could only give them counsel, but others could do more. Miss Martineau
determined to go at once to the fountainhead. In short, she would
attack the one and only rich person who lived in the neighborhood of
Rosebury. Shortlands was a big place, and the Ellsworthys were