"I cannot help hoping so," replied Mrs. Pomeroy. "She has improved very much of late, notwithstanding the unfavorable weather, and Dr. J. thinks that a very encouraging circumstance. Her patient and cheerful disposition is very much in her favor."
She returned to the book she was reading, but presently resumed the conversation by saying—"I hope, Emily, you pay for your materials as you buy them. You know I altogether disapprove of the young ladies making bills."
"Yes, ma'am," said Emily, hastily, glad that she was sitting so that Mrs. Pomeroy could not observe the blush which she felt mounting to her face. "I have indeed forbidden the merchants to trust them, without my own express permission," continued Mrs. Pomeroy, "so that they must look to the young ladies and their parents, and not to me for the payment of their accounts. It sometimes happens that a young lady's father gives her permission to purchase upon credit, and then I have nothing to say, but I dislike the plan, and was glad to find that your father agreed with me."
Emily could not command her voice to answer, and worked away in silence, while Mrs. Pomeroy continued. "There is another thing which I dislike very much, and which, though positively forbidden, I regret to say, I have never been able entirely to prevent. I allude to the girls borrowing money of each other. It leads to trouble and quarrels without end. If you are over tempted to do so, remember that I shall be most seriously displeased."
"I have never borrowed money since I have been here," said Emily, feeling that she must say something, and glad to be able to make the assertion with truth.
"I am glad to hear you say so," replied Mrs. Pomeroy. "I did not speak because I suspected you, but only that you might be warned. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."
"It is, indeed!" thought Emily. "Especially when the pound of cure is not to be had at any price. Oh, how I wish I had never made a debt. But there is no use in wishing, the only way is to discover some method of paying, though I am sure I don't know where to look for it. At any rate, I will find out this week how much I do owe, and perhaps something may occur to me. If I only had an aunt like Delia's to send me money."
At this moment, a sudden light flashed upon her mind. She had a cousin, a very rich man, and a bachelor, who had sometimes made her Christmas presents of money—why should she not write to him and ask for what she wanted.
Two or three difficulties stood in the way of this scheme. In the first place, all the letters were carried to Mrs. Pomeroy's room before they were posted, as she was in the habit of looking at all the directions, and if anything struck her as suspicious, she was sure to make inquiry about it. Emily had no regular correspondent except her father, and if Mrs. Pomeroy should ask her a question, what could she say?
She must contrive to get her letter posted privately; but this she thought she might accomplish by means of one of the day scholars, who sometimes did such errands for the boarders. But what was she to do when the answer came? Leaving this difficulty to be met by some bright thought, she wrote her letter that very night. At first she was at some loss on what pretext to ask for what she wanted, but after some consideration she wrote as follows: