lodgers."
"Perhaps we should pay half the house rent," said Mrs Derwent, "and, ofcourse, a larger proportion of the housekeeping. All that, I couldguarantee out of capital for a time--the first year or so--till we sawhow we got on. Miss Halliday is such an unsuspicious creature that Ishould be doubly anxious to be fair to her."
"Perhaps it would be best to consult Mr Mapleson," said Blanche.
"Yes, I think it would be quite necessary," her mother agreed. "Ishould like to have a talk with Miss Halliday before doing so, however,so that we might know our ground a little; and then, again, I can't sayanything definite till I hear more from Mr Bracy."
She got up from her seat as she spoke, and crossed the room to thewindow, where she stood looking out.
It was a perfectly lovely, early summer morning. The grounds atPinnerton Lodge were now beginning to reward the care that had beenbestowed on them when the Derwents first took the house. The view fromthe window across the neat lawn, its borders already gay with flowers,was charming.
No wonder that poor Mrs Derwent sighed a little.
"I think almost the worst part of this sort of trouble," she said, "iswaiting to see what one should do; though in some cases, no doubt, thisgoes on for months."
At that moment the click of the gate was heard.
"I don't think we are going to be kept very long waiting," said Blanchecheerfully--she too had left her seat, and was standing beside hermother--"that's the Bracys' page coming up the path; he must be bringinga note."
Her conjecture was correct. Two minutes later the note was in MrsDerwent's hand.
"They are really very kind and considerate," she said, looking up aftershe had read it. "This is to ask if Mrs Bracy may come to look throughthe house more particularly, as they have quite made up their mindsabout it. Fancy, Blanche, he has actually telegraphed to India, and hasgot a reply. I do believe he has done it more for our sake than fortheir own, for I said to him we wanted to know as soon as possible.They are very rich, I suppose, but they are certainly also very kind."
"And how _horrid_ I was to Adela Bracy the first time I saw her," saidStasy, contritely. "Well, never mind, I'll make up for it byfabricating the loveliest hats that ever were seen, for her, if shepatronises our millinery establishment."
"Stasy," said Blanche softly, "I wouldn't joke about it if I were you;and you know it isn't the least settled yet. At least not beforemamma," she went on, in a lower voice, seeing that her mother was notlistening, as she was again reading Mr Bracy's note.
An answer was sent, arranging for Mrs Bracy to see the house that samemorning, and by that afternoon the negotiation was virtually concluded.The rent Mr Bracy proposed to pay would in itself have been a sufficientincome for the mother and daughters to have lived upon very modestly,had Pinnerton Lodge been their own; but deducting the amount Mrs Derwentwas responsible for, as the tenant of the house unfurnished, a verysmall income was to be counted on, and that but for one year.
"We may feel sure of two hundred," said Mrs Derwent, "for I have still agood balance in the bank, and I have _almost_ paid everything we owe, upto this."
"You are counting, of course, the eighty pounds a year that Mr Maplesonspoke of as quite certain," said Blanche.
"Oh dear, yes," her mother replied; "it is indeed our only certainty inthe future, except what we would realise by selling the furniture andplate, and so on."
"And I'm sure it is better not to do that in a hurry," said Blanche."Don't you think, mamma," she went on, "that we know enough now tojustify us in having a talk with Miss Halliday?"
Mrs Derwent considered.
"Yes," she said, "I think that is the first thing to be done now, for Ihave practically promised to give possession of the house early nextmonth."
"Would you like me to see her first, mamma?" Blanche proposed. "Couldit make it any less disagreeable for you if I were to sound her, as itwere?"
"Oh no, dear," said her mother. "I shall not feel it disagreeable, andeven if I did, why should I not take my share when you and Stasy are sogood about it all? You would hardly be able to go into it definitelywithout me. I must make a rough calculation as to what ready money Icould promise her at once, subject, of course, to Mr Maplesonsapproval."
"And he should be written to without delay," said Blanche. "Yes, mamma,if you're able for the walk, I think we should certainly see MissHalliday to-day. If we go rather late in the afternoon, she would bebetter able to speak to us uninterruptedly."
They found the milliner in rather low spirits, though the flutter ofnervousness at the honour of Mrs Derwent's visit made her forget her owntroubles for a little. She was full of sympathy, yet afraid ofpresumption if she expressed it. But before long Blanche and her mothermanaged to put her at her ease.
But the calm was only of a few minutes' duration. When Mrs Derwent laidbefore her with quiet composure the object with which they had soughther, Miss Halliday's excitement grew uncontrollable. She cried andlaughed, thanked them and apologised to them, all in a breath, till MrsDerwent at last made her see that the proposal was for their interest aswell as for hers, and managed to calm her down by matter-of-factdiscussion of ways and means, and pounds, shillings, and pence.
"It is too good to be true," said Miss Halliday. "I have got sillylately with brooding over things all by myself. Since the day MissStasy talked to me, I have not said a word of my troubles to any one,and knowing, of course, how much worse anxieties you dear ladies had tobear, I couldn't have troubled you by asking for advice."
Her confidence in Mrs Derwent was touching. She would have agreed toalmost anything proposed, so that Blanche and her mother left her,empowered to tell Mr Mapleson that the milliner was ready to accept anyarrangement he thought fair and equitable.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.
A VISITOR.
Two months later. A sunny day towards the end of July, the sort of dayon which one longs to have nothing to do but to saunter about a garden,or lounge under trees with the lightest of light literature in hishands. It was rather hot in the milliner's shop in the Blissmore HighStreet, though the sun-blinds had been down since the early morning toprotect the few, though pretty, bonnets and hats tastefully displayed inthe window. These sun-blinds were a new addition to Miss Halliday'sfrontage, and she was very proud of them.
"Such a convenience," she said, "making such a nice shade, and yet notstopping passers-by seeing what was to be seen. Not that that wouldmatter," she went on, complacently. "If we had nothing but a plainfront door, customers would come in plenty, I feel sure, now that we'regetting such a name."
It was quite true. Even during the few weeks that had passed since theDerwents had joined her, Miss Halliday's connection had steadilyincreased, though just at this season it consisted mainly of theresidents at Blissmore itself.
Some came out of curiosity, no doubt, for no secret had been made of thechange in the Derwents' position and the courageous step they had taken.It was a new sensation, in a provincial town, at least, to be waitedupon by "ladies," and very charming ladies too; though, to tell thetruth, the adjective was chiefly drawn forth by Blanche, whose sweetgrave face and perfect patience and courtesy of manner rarely failed towin her customers' hearts. But if curiosity brought several of these inthe first place, real satisfaction at the way in which their orders wereexecuted was pretty sure to lead to repeated visits. And added to theincreasing conviction that not many milliners out of Paris had prettierwares, and "so moderate too," was a sensation, agreeable to theBlissmore ladies, that somehow or other they were acting in apraiseworthy fashion by lending a helping hand to the "poor things."
Yes, as far as the town was concerned, there was no doubt that the newdeparture was a decided success, though the very success brought certaindifficulties in its train, the management of which called forconsiderable tact.
"You mustn't let yourselves be patronised, dear young ladies," said MissHalliday, when an invitation to a small evening party was left one dayfor "Miss Derwent"
by Mrs Burgess's parlour-maid. "She wouldn't havedared do it, if you had been at Pinnerton Lodge; and, to my mind, it's agreater freedom now than it would have been then."
"She counts herself an old acquaintance, I suppose, as she called uponus at first," said Blanche; "and Dr Burgess was very good to Stasy whenshe was ill, you know, Miss Halliday. Still, of course, I would neverdream of accepting this. Only we must not risk offending any one, and Ibelieve, in her way, Mrs Burgess has done her best to help us byrecommending us."
Miss Halliday gave a little snort, Mrs Burgess being no very