"Mabel is very rich," continued Annie. "I mean that her aunt, Lady Lushington, is enormously wealthy." "We have that distinguished lady's patronage," said Mrs Priestley. "We have made gowns for her as well as for the young lady, her niece." "You send Miss Lushington's accounts to Lady Lushington?" said Annie. The high priestess of the art of dressmaking thought it only necessary to bow her stately head. "Then perhaps you will lend Mabel the money?" said Annie, who felt herself getting into greater and greater hot water. "It can be done," said Mrs Priestley, "but only in one way. We must treat our young customer as we do the other clients whom it has been our privilege to oblige on more than one occasion. We must either have the lady's jewels to the value of the sum borrowed, or we must add the thirty pounds to Miss Lushington's account in our books. At the present moment Miss Lushington's bill amounts to close on forty pounds, and if we add thirty more it will make seventy. Are we to understand that Lady Lushington will pay so large a bill without comment for a young lady who is only a schoolgirl?" "Oh, I am sure she will," said Annie, whose one desire at that moment was to get the money and leave Mrs Priestley's presence. "She is so enormously rich," continued the girl, "she thinks nothing of spending a hundred pounds on one dress for herself. Why, seventy pounds," said Annie, who would have rejoiced just then to possess three, "is a mere nothing to her--just a bagatelle. I know it." "Your statement, miss, is satisfactory, as far as it goes. We will therefore, being assured by our own experience that you are right, lend Miss Lushington the required sum, but on the distinct understanding that if Lady Lushington raises any question with regard to the account, we are at liberty to mention your name in the matter." "How so?" asked Annie, very much alarmed. "I am only a little schoolgirl," she added, "with no money at all." "Nevertheless, miss, we must mention your name--Miss Annie Brooke, is it not?" Annie nodded. Mrs Priestley made a note of it, adding the date of Annie's visit and the fact that she was a resident at Lyttelton School. She then, without any further ado, produced gold and notes to the amount of thirty pounds, which she folded up into a little parcel and gave to Annie. "You will give us a receipt for this, miss," she said; and Annie did so in due form. "And now, miss," continued the woman, "all is well, and you will never hear any more with regard to this matter if we are paid our account in full; but if there is difficulty--and even rich ladies sometimes grumble at a bill such as we shall be forced to produce--then you may get into hot water. We will now wish you good-afternoon, miss, for our time is not our own but our customers'."