impatience. 'How is a man to know when his daughter wants clothes? and
how is he to rig her out when he finds it out, just when she needs them
most and has not got them?'

'Ah, that's the question!' said Molly, in some despair.

'Can't you go to Miss Rose's? Does not she keep ready-made frocks for
girls of your age?'

'Miss Rose! I never had anything from her in my life,' replied Molly,
in some surprise; for Miss Rose was the great dressmaker and milliner
of the little town, and hitherto Betty had made the girl's frocks.

'Well, but it seems people consider you as a young woman now, and so I
suppose you must run up milliners' bills like the rest of your kind.
Not that you are to get anything anywhere that you can't pay for down
in ready money. Here's a ten-pound note; go to Miss Rose's, or Miss
anybody's, and get what you want at once. The Hamley carriage is to
come for you at two, and anything that is not quite ready, can easily
be sent by their cart on Saturday, when some of their people always
come to market. Nay, don't thank me! I don't want to have the money
spent, and I don't want you to go and leave me: I shall miss you, I
know; it's only hard necessity that drives me to send you a-visiting,
and to throw away ten pounds on your clothes. There, go away; you're a
plague, and I mean to leave off loving you as fast as I can.'

'Papa!' holding up her finger as in warning, 'you are getting
mysterious again; and though my honourableness is very strong, I won't
promise that it shall not yield to my curiosity if you go on hinting at
untold secrets.'