And it wanted a month yet of dividend day. What was to be done? She had been in the habit of paying ready money for everything, and did not even know that she could obtain credit in the town, neither would her pride allow her to ask it. She had left all her jewels in Mr. Large’s charge, otherwise she would have sacrificed a diamond ornament, and taken care to be more careful for the future. But under present circumstances this was out of the question, and meanwhile she must have sufficient to pay her weekly bills. She pondered the question anxiously all night, and by morning she had come to the conclusion that there was no help for it, and she must write to Mr. Large. This was a sore humiliation to Lady Gwendolyn, the more so that Mr. Large had seemed to think she would not be able to manage on her income, having been accustomed to such lavish expenditure, and she had assured him that she intended to make it do, and had taken rather a lofty tone on the occasion. But it was better to eat humble pie than to run into debt, in a place where her only claim to consideration was the punctuality of her payments; so she put her pride in her pocket, and wrote off to Mr. Large, saying that her expenses had been much greater than she had anticipated of late, that she must ask him to advance her fifty pounds, and deduct them from her dividends when they became due. Directly this letter was despatched, Lady Gwendolyn felt easier in her mind, although the effort it had cost her to write it had made her quite ill. “And if I am embarrassed now,” she said to herself grimly, “what will it be when baby gets a big boy, and wants educating, and all that sort of thing? I haven’t even a rich maiden aunt to leave me money, and I have always heard that boys are expensive things to bring up. If we were in our right position now----But I will not think of that, since it is so impossible,” she added quickly. “I must do my best, and trust all the rest to Providence. I have heard of people who lived upon even less than six hundred a year, and now that I always dress in black, my clothes won’t cost me much.” CHAPTER XXV. SIR LAWRENCE ACTS. Sir Lawrence Dacre was just stepping out of Mr. Large’s house, his head erect, his eyes shining, his whole face transformed, looking as a man might who has just received some very joyful tidings, when he suddenly felt a heavy hand on his shoulder, and, turning, found himself face to face with Lord Teignmouth. Sir Lawrence’s face changed again, and he drew a little away from his former friend. He could not forget Reginald’s cruel desertion of his young sister, and was not inclined to encourage his advances under the circumstances. But when he scrutinized him closer, Lord Teignmouth looked so thoroughly miserable and ill, that he could not help relenting a little and allowing him to walk along by his side.