hand, and looking at the young woman blankly. She had no doubt
in her mind that at least part of the money he had received for
them had paid for the flowers he had sent to her in Scotland.
The certainty of this left her no choice. She laid the ring and
watch down and pulled the only ring she possessed from her own
finger. It was a gift from Lady Gower. She had no doubt that it
was of great value.

"Can you lend me some money on that?" she asked. It was the
first time she had conducted a business transaction of this
nature, and she felt as though she were engaging in a burglary.

"We don't lend money, miss," the girl said, "we buy outright. I
can give you twenty-eight shillings for this," she added.

"Twenty-eight shillings," Helen gasped; "why, it is worth--oh,
ever so much more than that!"

"That is all it is worth to us," the girl answered. She regarded
the ring indifferently and laid it away from her on the counter.
The action was final.

Helen's hands rose slowly to her breast, where a pretty watch
dangled from a bowknot of crushed diamonds. It was her only
possession, and she was very fond of it. It also was the gift of
one of the several great ladies who had adopted her since her
residence in London. Helen had painted a miniature of this
particular great lady which had looked so beautiful that the
pleasure which the original of the portrait derived from the
thought that she still really looked as she did in the miniature