sovereign to fifteen shillings from the generous-hearted Irish girl, she
suddenly found herself the lucky possessor of eight whole sovereigns.
Never in the whole course of her life had Elma possessed anything
approaching such a sum. Her mother was very poor. She had only one
sister, a daily governess. All Elma's people were hard up, as the
expression goes, and Elma herself only attended Middleton School because
an aunt paid her school fees. Hardly ever could the girl secure even
half a crown for her own pleasure. She hated poverty, she detested the
small privations which slender means involved. She was in no sense of
the word a high, refined character; on the contrary, there was something
small in her nature, something little about her. She had ever cringed to
the wealthy. She had made friends with Gwin Harley, who was rich,
high-spirited, and generous, but also very conscientious, and with
abundance of common sense. A glance had told Elma that she could never
ask Gwin to lend her money; but Kitty--innocent, frank, generous
Kitty--had proved an all too easy prey.

At that moment Elma despised Kitty as much as she was grateful to her.
The eight pounds, which she might return whenever she liked, lay lightly
in her pocket; she almost danced in her excitement and sense of triumph.
Of course Kitty would never tell--that went without saying; and in the
meantime she was rich beyond her wildest dreams. The girls had joined
forces when they came up to the stream which led across a wide field
called the Willow Meadow. Kitty linked her hand inside Bessie's arm, and
Elma and Alice walked side by side.

"Well," exclaimed Alice, "how did you get on with her, Elma?"

"With whom?" asked Elma.