Lavinia's ingenuous story had its effect. Not a few of Dr. Mountchance's
lady customers preferred money to trinkets and he did a profitable trade
in buying these presents at his own price. Some of these flighty damsels
were haughty and patronising and others were familiar and impudent. The
old man disliked both varieties. Lavinia belonged to neither the first
nor the second. She was thoroughly natural and the humour lurking in her
sparkling eyes was a weapon which few could resist. Dr. Mountchance
unclasped a leather pouch and extracted a guinea.

"You've a mighty coaxing tongue, you baggage. Keep it to yourself that I
gave you what you asked, lest my reputation as a fair dealing man be
gone for ever."

"Oh, you may trust me to keep my mouth shut," said Lavinia with mock
gravity.

A sweeping curtsey and she turned towards the door. At the same moment a
lady cloaked and hooded like herself entered. They stared at each other
as they passed.

Lavinia recognised Sally Salisbury, though the latter was much more
finely dressed than when they encountered each other outside the
Maidenhead Tavern in St. Giles. Sally was not so sure about Lavinia. The
slim girl was now a woman. She carried herself with an air. She had
exchanged her shabby garments for clothes of a fashionable cut which she
knew how to wear. Still, some chord in Sally's memory was stirred and
she advanced into the shop with a puzzled look on her face.

Mountchance received his fresh customer obsequiously. He had made a good