"That's not the point. It's double the amount you gave us to understand it would be, and if you should deduct the damage caused by your delay it would greatly reduce it. I do not feel willing that this bill should be paid as it stands." "Very well then," said the man, coolly rising. "You threatened me with a lawyer; I'll let my lawyer settle with you." "Edith," said Mrs. Allen majestically, "bring my checkbook." "Don't pay it, mother. He can't make us pay such a bill in view of the fact that he left our roof open in the rain." "Do as I bid you," said Mrs. Allen impressively. "There," she said to the chuckling builder, in lofty scorn, throwing toward him a check as if it were dirt. "Now leave the presence of ladies whom you don't seem to know much about." The man reddened and went out muttering that "he had seen quite as good ladies before." Two days later a letter from Mrs. Allen's bank brought dismay by stating that she had overdrawn her account. The next day there came a letter from their lawyer saying that a messenger from the bank had called upon him--that he was sorry they had spent all their money--that he could not sell the stock he held at any price now--and they had better sell their house in the country and board. This Mrs. Allen was inclined to do, but Edith said almost fiercely: "I won't sell it. I am bound to have some place of refuge in this hard, pitiless world. I hold the deed of this property, and we certainly can get something to eat off of it, and if we must starve, no one at least can disturb us." "What can we do?" said Mrs. Allen, crying and wringing her hands. "We ought to have saved our money and gone to work at something," answered Edith sternly. "I am not able to work," whined Laura. "I don't know how to work, and I won't starve either," cried Zell passionately. "I shall write to Mr. Van Dam this very day and tell him all about it." "I would rather work my fingers off," retorted Edith scornfully, "than have a man come and marry me out of charity, finding me as helpless as if I were picked up off the street, and on the street we should soon be, without shelter or friends, if we sold this place." And so the blow fell upon them, and such was the spirit with which they bore it. CHAPTER XV THE TEMPTATION The same mail brought them a long bill from Mr. Hard, accompanied with a very polite but decisive note saying that it was his custom to have a monthly settlement with his customers. The rest of the family looked with new dismay and helplessness at this, and Edith added bitterly: "There are half a dozen other bills also." "What can we do?" again Mrs. Allen cried piteously. "If you girls had only accepted some of your splendid offers--" "Hush, mother," said Edith imperiously. "I have heard that refrain too often already," and the resolute practical girl went to her room and shut herself up to think.