"Do you think your mother will be pleased to hear that you have done this without asking her advice? When you were coming here, she wisely came to see me first and judge what sort of a home you were likely to have with me. I suppose you have been tempted by the offer of higher wages?" concluded Mrs. Lloyd. "Yes, partly," answered Fanny. "Everybody wants as much money as they can get," added the girl. "You will learn one day that money is not everything, Fanny, and a light, comfortable place such as you have here may be worth more than higher wages with little comfort." Fanny muttered something about "being so particular;" but Mrs. Lloyd took no notice of this, but gave her permission to go out for an hour when some of the morning work was finished. Fanny's coolness and assurance puzzled the lady, and she wondered who or what could have effected the change that had undoubtedly taken place in the girl. Looking back to that time, Mrs. Lloyd recalled the Fanny that first came to her—a happy, lighthearted, hopeful girl, willing and eager to give satisfaction, and then, after a few weeks of this, a change gradually crept over the girl, and she grew anxious and dissatisfied and careless, as though her heart was no longer in her work, but as if she had some secret care upon her mind that was constantly troubling her. What could it be? What could have happened in the short time she had been with her? But there was no answer to her anxious questioning. She knew nothing of Fanny's watch, or of the way in which she spent her money. She had to remind the girl once or twice that she must keep herself supplied with house-slippers, but beyond this she had never made any complaint about her dress. Indeed, she was much pleased with her neat, tidy appearance always, and the way in which her mother had provided for her first start in life gave her great satisfaction, so that she was unusually disturbed when the girl gave her notice to leave after she had been there little more than three months. CHAPTER XV FANNY'S LUCK "IF you please, ma'am, I've got the place, and the lady will give me ten pounds a year if you can let me go in a fortnight." Fanny had returned, highly elated at the success that had attended her efforts to "better herself," as she called it. Mrs. Lloyd looked somewhat surprised. "The lady is coming to see me about your character, I suppose?" she said. "I don't know, ma'am. She didn't say anything about that," answered Fanny. "You think she is going to take you without a character?" asked Mrs. Lloyd. "I don't know. I told her I had been living here, and gave her your address." "Then perhaps she will call and see me," said Mrs. Lloyd. "I hope she will; it is always more satisfactory. How many are there in family at this place?" asked her friend; for she was a true friend to Fanny if she could only have believed it. "I don't know. I didn't ask," said the girl, a little pertly. "Is it a larger house than this?" asked Mrs. Lloyd.