"You of course know that that wicked man Dove has received the sentence which he so richly deserves. Alas, we cannot get back all the stolen money, but we must manage without it, dear, and you are never even to talk of repaying me for the furnishing of dear little Daisy's Palace Beautiful. It has been a joy to me to have you, dear, and I hope you will be able to bring Daisy back with you, and to live here in peace and comfort next winter. Dear Primrose, it is more and more evident to me that young girls should not venture to come to London alone. You showed much bravery in your undertaking; but, my dear girl, the pitfalls you exposed yourselves to were awful to contemplate. I don't want to make you unhappy, dear, after all you have suffered with regard to Daisy, but I must now tell you of a little adventure which our poor dear Jasmine has had. You know how very anxious she has been to see herself in print. Of course, I could not conscientiously encourage her, for although she may have talent (this I am not prepared to say), yet she is a great deal too young to have anything printed. All books worth anything should teach, and surely our dear little girl is only at the age to be taught herself. "Well, Primrose, the little maid was fired with the strongest ambition. She wrote her novel in secret, and one day, accompanied by that good-natured Poppy Jenkins and sweet little Daisy, went Citywards, and simply plunged--for I can use no other word--into the unknown and to me rather awful realm of publishers. "Poor child, of course none of the good houses would even look at her immature productions; but she was taken in by a man who professed himself to be the editor of a monthly paper--_The Joy-bell_ was its silly title. On an understanding that her story was to be printed in the pages of _The Joy-bell_--of course I've never seen the paper, and should not dream of reading anything so rubbishy--poor Jasmine was induced to subscribe two pounds five shillings, or, in other words, to undertake to buy one hundred copies of _The Joy-bell_. Of course she imagined that her printed words would immediately bring her fame. She paid her money, and looked out for her story." "Where did she get the money from?" thought the anxious reader. "Primrose, how wrinkled up your brows are;" called out little Daisy. Primrose sighed, and resumed her perusal of the closely-written sheets. "On the very evening our little Daisy ran away Jasmine received her first proofs. They were barbarously printed on wretched paper, but the poor child was in such trouble then that she scarcely noticed them. Afterwards she did read them with care, and was surprised to find what a very small portion of her story had been printed.