and the like. At the end of the week, when new numbers came in, Ada
Peachey passed many hours upon her sofa, reading instalments of a
dozen serial stories, paragraphs relating to fashion, sport, the
theatre, answers to correspondents (wherein she especially
delighted), columns of facetiae, and gossip about notorious people.
Through a great deal of this matter Beatrice followed her, and read
much besides in which Ada took no interest; she studied a daily
newspaper, with special note of law suits, police intelligence,
wills, bankruptcies, and any concern, great or small, wherein money
played a part. She understood the nature of investments, and liked
to talk about stocks and shares with her male acquaintances.

They were the daughters of a Camberwell builder, lately deceased; to
each of them had fallen a patrimony just sufficient for their
support in elegant leisure. Ada's money, united with a small capital
in her husband's possession, went to purchase a share in the
business of Messrs. Ducker, Blunt & Co., manufacturers of
disinfectants; Arthur Peachey, previously a clerk to the firm,
became a junior partner, with the result that most of the hard work
was thrown upon his shoulders. At their marriage, the happy pair
first of all established themselves in a modest house near
Camberwell Road; two years later, growing prosperity brought about
their removal to De Crespigny Park, where they had now resided for
some twelve months. Unlike their elder sister, Beatrice and Fanny
had learnt to support themselves, Beatrice in the postal service,
and Fanny, sweet blossom! by mingling her fragrance with that of a
florist's shop in Brixton; but on their father's death both forsook
their employment, and came to live with Mrs. Peachey. Between them,
these two were the owners of house-property, which produced L140 a
year. They disbursed, together, a weekly sum of twenty-four