CHAPTER VIII.
Miss Hope Benham! It was five years since Dolly's encounter with Hope in the Brookside station, and four years since she had heard her or the name of Benham referred to. This later reference was made by Mr. Dering one morning at the breakfast-table.
"Well, Dolly," he had suddenly said, glancing up from his newspaper, "that little flower-girl who got the better of you last season is in luck."
Dolly looked up with a puzzled expression.
"What! you've forgotten the little girl at the Brookside station who told you how ignorant and bad-mannered you were?"
"Oh, Ten-cents-a-bunch!" shouted Dolly.
"Yes, little Ten-cents-a-bunch. Well, her father, the engineer, is on the high road to fortune by a certain successful invention of his. Now, what do you say to that?"
"Ten-cents-a-bunch," repeated Dolly, laughing.
"Oh, that Mr. Benham, the engineer you told us of last season?" asked Mary, with interest.