"Not a word to her, mind. I'll have to bribe you, I see. What do you say to this?" He took from his pocket a gold bracelet, shining with bright stones, and held it up to the light. The girl uttered a cry of pleasure, but as she clasped the trinket she looked round in affright. Her glad exclamation was followed by a moan from Mrs. Lenoir, who staggered forward a few steps and sank, insensible to the ground. "It's only a drunken woman," said the man. "Good night, my bird." The girl eluded his embrace and ran to the fainting woman, and knelt beside her. "She is not drunk," said the girl; "she looks worn out and tired. See how white she is. Poor creature! Perhaps she is starving." Mrs. Lenoir, opening her eyes, saw as in a vision, the face of the beautiful girl bending over her, and a smile of ineffable sweetness played about her lips. But the words she strove to utter were breathed, unspoken, into the air, and she relapsed into insensibility. "Leave her to me," said the man; "I will take care of her. You musn't get into trouble: it's past the time you were expected home." He raised the woman in his arms as he spoke. "You don't know her?" he said. "No; I never saw her before," replied the girl "You must promise _me_ now: you'll not leave her in the streets; you'll see her safely home." "I'll do more; if she's in want, I'll assist her. Now, go; I don't want to be seen by your--what do you call him?--Mr. Dumbrick, or by your friend Sally. Good night. She is recovering already. Run away--and don't forget; to-morrow night, at the same place." He threw his disengaged arm round the girl and kissed her. The next moment he and Mrs. Lenoir were alone. CHAPTER XXIV. Seth Dumbrick, sitting in the old cellar in which it seemed likely he would end his days, was the subject of Sally's anxious observance, as she sat opposite to him, busy with her needle. Sally, in addition to the performance of her household duties, played no unimportant part in providing for the domestic necessities of the establishment, and the seven or eight shillings a week she contrived by hard labour to earn was an important item to Seth, whose trade had fallen off considerably during the past few years. Sally was a full-grown woman now, looking older than her years; but her nature was unchanged, and her devotion to the Duchess was as perfect as on the day when the girl was brought, almost an infant, to her mother's house. That was a happy time in her remembrance of it, far different from the present, which was full of trouble.