The Leather Plater. 315 



when she left), she hardly spent a ten-pound note in the year. Out 

 of her two years' allowance she had saved nearly one hundred 

 pounds, which she brought up to London with her. Now avarice 

 was not one of Annie's faults, and she had not lived long enough in 

 the world to have learned the true value of money. She considered 

 it was only so much dross, which was meant to be spent ; and the 

 sooner it was got rid of the sooner the trouble was over. A more 

 liberal, open-hearted girl did not exist. Every coachman who 

 drove her that night received a half-guinea tip as he presented him- 

 self at the coach door, with a civil touch of the hat and " I leave 

 you here, miss;" and a sovereign to the old guard, and thanks for all 

 his kindness, given in her sweetest manner, quite confirmed the old 

 man in the opinion he had formed respecting her. He shook her 

 hand with all the familiarity of an " old friend of the family," and 

 bidding her, if ever she wanted a friend in London, to be sure and 

 find out old Ned Simpson, the guard of the Highflyer, he wished 

 her a most cordial good-by, and turned away, remarking to the 

 coachman who stood waiting for him, that " If that 'ere gal isn't a 

 countess, she only ought to be." 



The sentence fell on Annie's ear that word had been uppermost 

 in her thoughts for the last two years and she felt as if there was 

 something prophetic in the old guard's speech. 



She followed the chambermaid upstairs, and after changing her 

 dress, ordered a cab and drove at once to the house of her friend 

 the schoolmistress at Kensington. Annie had always been a 

 favourite with every one at the school, and as the servant opened the 

 door to the cabman's knock, she gave a little scream of delight as she 

 called out, "Why, if here isn't Miss Annie come back !" As usual, 

 she paid the cabman double his fare, who, as he thanked her, gal- 

 lantly observed, that if she wished it, he'd wait two hours and drive 

 back for nothing, only for the sake of having so handsome a fare. 

 Annie walked straight up to her former preceptress's parlour. The 

 greeting was cordial on both sides, and Annie's cheeks flushed with 

 haughty pride as the old lady held her at arm's length, that she 

 might scan her features well, and wound up her survey by exclaim- 



