"What do you want with me?" said Florence at last, restlessly; "I must sleep. I wish you would go away." "I will when I have made my request." "What is that?" "I want you to give me twenty pounds." "Twenty pounds! Why, you know I have not got it." "Practically you have, and I want it. I want it early to-morrow morning." "Now, Bertha, you must be mad." "Not at all; I am abundantly sane. That essay which so excited the spectators to-night was worth twenty pounds. I mean you to buy it from me, and those are my terms." "You know I cannot. I cannot imagine what you mean by coming to me in this fashion." "Without twenty pounds I shall be undone," said Bertha; "I need it to pay some debts. If the debts are not paid I shall be exposed, and if I go under, you, my pretty Florence, go under, too--understand that, please. Twenty pounds is cheap at the price, is it not?" "But I have not got it, Bertha; I would give it you, but I cannot. You might as well ask me for my right hand." "I tell you the great Mrs. Aylmer will do anything for her pretty and gifted niece. Ask her for the money to-morrow." "For you?" "By no means--for yourself." "Bertha, I simply cannot." "All right," said Bertha. "I give you until to-morrow at noon to decide. If by that time I have twenty pounds in my hand all right, your secret is respected and no catastrophe will happen, and your frightful deceit will never be found out. Only one person will know it, and that is I. But if you do not give me the twenty pounds I shall myself go to Mrs. Clavering and tell her everything. I shall be sorry; the consequences will be very disagreeable for me; I cannot even say if I shall quite escape the punishment of the law, but I expect I shall. In any case, you will be done for, my pretty Florence; your career will be over. Think of that; think of the little Mummy, as you call her, without the great Scholarship to back you up--think what it means." "I do, I do; the only one I do think of at the present moment is my mother," said Florence. "When I think of her it gives me agony. But, Bertha, I cannot get that twenty pounds." "You can; make an excuse to your Aunt Susan to obtain it. Now, my dear, you know why I have come to you; I will not trouble you any further. The twenty pounds at noon to-morrow, or you know the consequences." Bertha waved her hand with a light air, kissed the slim little figure in its Greek dress, then she opened the door and went out. CHAPTER XXII. THE VOICE OF GOD. After Bertha had left her, Florence sat in a stunned attitude. She was just rising slowly from her chair when there came a knock a second time at the door. This time Florence had not even a moment to say "Come in." The door was softly opened, and the fair, sweet face of Kitty peeped round it. "Ah! I thought you were not in bed," she said; "I came to see you just for a minute to wish you good-night."