The Leather Plater. 317 



country house, and he was continually following her about. This 

 rather bored her, but at the same time amused her. One morning 

 she was sitting alone in the drawing-room, painting in water- 

 colours, in which art she was a proficient. Her hanger-on was not 

 long before he found her out, and, drawing his chair close to her, 

 commenced a violent flirtation. As long as he confined himself to 

 this all was well; but emboldened by Annie's submission, he pro- 

 ceeded to freedoms which he would never have dared to attempt 

 with any female had he not fancied that she was unprotected. 

 Annie's hot blood was up she rose from her seat, looked him 

 fixedly in the face for some seconds, then taking up the glass of 

 dirty water in which she was cleaning her brushes, coolly dashed 

 it into his face, and left the room without saying a word. 



Annie went to her bedchamber and wrote a note, in which, after 

 thanking the lady for all the kindness she had received since she 

 had been at the cottage, she told her that circumstances compelled 

 her to leave the situation without a moment's notice. She 

 referred the lady to her nephew for an explanation, and wound up 

 by saying that, although she was aware by leaving thus abruptly 

 she had forfeited all claims to any salary which might be due to 

 her, still, if the lady chose to pay, she begged that she would hand 

 it over to her nephew, in order to purchase him a new white waist- 

 coat, in place of the one which she was afraid she had spoilt, when 

 giving him his last, lesson in painting. 



She then packed up her trunk, got one of the outdoor servants 

 to carry it to the railway station, not half-a-mile distant, and in less 

 than an hour was on her road back to London. 



Half-way between the cottage and London was a little refresh- 

 ment station, hardly in the style of the Swindon or Wolverton 

 station, but still a very neat little room where half-a-dozen nymphs 

 served out hot soups, buns, porter, &c., to those hungry and thirsty 

 railway travellers who required them. These girls were chosen 

 principally for their good looks, and when Annie pushed her way 

 up to the counter for a plate of soup she took a critical survey of 

 the beauties behind it, and saw at a glance that not one could hold 



