Produced by Jonathan Ingram, Jacqueline Jeremy and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net A HOUSEFUL OF GIRLS. BY SARAH TYTLER, AUTHOR OF "CITOYENNE JACQUELINE," "PAPERS FOR THOUGHTFUL GIRLS," ETC., ETC. LONDON: WALTER SMITH AND INNES, 31 & 32, BEDFORD STREET, STRAND. 1889. [_All rights reserved._] RICHARD CLAY & SONS, LIMITED, LONDON & BUNGAY. CONTENTS. CHAP. PAGE I. A FLUTTER IN THE DOVE-COT 1 II. THE "COUP DE GRACE" 20 III. THE HEADS OF THE HOUSE LOOK GRAVE 35 IV. THE CRASH 54 V. PROMOTION 72 VI. THE CLOUD DEEPENS 81 VII. ROSE GOES WEST AND ANNIE GOES EAST 106 VIII. STANDING AND WAITING 122 IX. A WILFUL DOG WILL HAVE HIS WAY 136 X. LIFE IN AN HOSPITAL WARD 157 XI. MRS. JENNINGS AND HER DAUGHTER HESTER 182 XII. A YOUNG ARTIST'S EXPERIENCE 188 XIII. MR. ST. FOY'S AND THE MISSES STONE'S 196 XIV. THE OLD TOWN, WITH ITS AIR STAGNANT YET TROUBLED. IS MAY TO BECOME A SCHOLAR OR A SHOP-GIRL? 214 XV. TOM ROBINSON TAKEN INTO COUNSEL 234 XVI. ROSE'S FOLLY AND ANNIE'S WISDOM 257 XVII. MAY HAS TO FIGHT HER OWN BATTLE 288 XVIII. DORA IS THE NEXT MESSENGER WITH BAD TIDINGS 316 XIX. THE UNEMPLOYED--A FAMILIAR FACE 322 XX. REDCROSS AGAIN 342 XXI. MISS FRANKLIN'S MISTAKE 363 XXII. A SHRED OF HOPE 382 XXIII. SECOND THOUGHTS AND LAST WORDS 392 A HOUSEFUL OF GIRLS CHAPTER I. A FLUTTER IN THE DOVE-COT. Is there any sensation equal to that produced by the first lover and the first proposal coming to a girl in a large family of girls? It is delightfully sentimental, comical, complimentary, affronting, rousing, tiresome--all in one. It is a herald of lovers, proposals, and wonderful changes all round. It is the first thrill of real life in its strong passions, grave vicissitudes, and big joys and sorrows as they come in contact with idle fancies, hearts that have been light, simple experiences which have hitherto been carefully guarded from rude shocks.