"Thank God the money will be out of the house!" said Mrs. Lopez, piously; "this, as is well known, is an awful district for robbery and murder."
"Only among natives," corrected Mrs. Chandos, with a fearless toss of her head.
"It has a very bad name," argued her mother, "that you know, and that is why Salwey is in charge of the police; truly the last man was an old woman."
"And this one is a young devil!" cried her daughter with startling vehemence.
"Come to the office once more, Abdul. I want a word with you about my rents," said Mrs. Chandos.
"Certainly," he replied, and, money in hand, and having executed a general salaam, the benignant patriarch tramped out of the room in the wake of his employer. Pussy assisted her sister to collect and put away the jewellery, uttering, as she did so, many flattering adjectives.
"Now you must go to bed, children," announced their grandmother; "it is after nine o'clock. The travelling girl is dead tired," and at last Verona escaped to her own quarters, kind Pussy carrying the dressing-bag, and affectionately anxious to help her to undress, and, above all, to brush her hair. Her good offices were set aside with the greatest difficulty. Being naturally a little dense, it never dawned upon Bellamina Chandos that her sister did not require assistance, or would prefer her own company.
At last her simple mind accepted the novel idea, and her entreaties ceased.
"Dom," she whispered, as she embraced her, "is not quite sure; but I know—that I shall love you."
With one vigorous hug she vanished, and Verona was left alone.