have not a few dollars you could give me, father?"

"No," said Townshead, with somewhat unusual decisiveness; "I have not.
You are always asking for dollars. What do you want them for?"

"Mr. Seaforth has packed our stores in for a long while, and we have
paid him nothing," said the girl, while a little colour crept into her
face.

Townshead made a gesture of weariness. "The young man seems willing to
do it out of friendship for us, and I see no reason why we should not
allow him, unless he presumes upon the trifling service," he said. "To
do him justice, however, he and his comrade have always shown
commendable taste."

The girl smiled a little, for considering their relative positions in a
country where a man takes his station according to his usefulness the
word "presume" appeared incongruous. "Still, I should prefer not to be
in their debt," she said.

"Then we will free ourselves of the obligation with the next remittance
Jack sends in," said Townshead impatiently.

The girl's face grew troubled. "I am afraid that will not be for some
little time," she said. "Poor Jack. You surely remember he is lying
ill?"

"It is especially inconvenient just now," said Townshead querulously.
"It has also been a sore point with me that a son of mine should hire
himself out as a labourer. I am sorry I let him go, the more so