"Please, if you'll let me, I'll go round to the tenants in father's place," cries Betty, eagerly.
"You? Why, what does a girl like you know about it?"
"I'm good at accounts; and father has told me how it is done, and shown me the books—I help him with them sometimes. If you would only let me try, sir—until father gets better——"
"Oh, that's it, is it? You want to take over my work!" and, rather to Betty's surprise, the hard old eyes give a little twinkle of amusement. "No—no, my girl, you don't understand; there's a great deal besides just collecting the money. Repairs to attend to; bad tenants to get rid of; new tenants to bargain with——"
"But, sir," interrupts Betty, eagerly, "if you would only let me try to do the best I can until father comes out of the hospital—perhaps the repairs could wait—and I'd try so hard; and—and we've nothing but a few pounds in the savings bank, and father said he thought you might do something——"
"Oh, he did—did he? Very kind of him, I'm sure!" snaps Mr. Duncan, the hard, suspicious look returning to his face.
Betty feels ready to burst into tears. "He thinks the very idea of employing me utterly absurd," she thinks, and turns to go.
But hardly have her fingers touched the handle, before Mr. Duncan calls her back.
"Don't be in such a hurry, young person. Your father is a great deal too soft with the tenants; but I believe he means well, and I'm sorry for his accident. Suppose you go round to the tenants who haven't paid this morning? It will be time enough to talk about your taking on the work when I see what you can do."
She is to have a trial after all! The expression on Betty's face changes so quickly, that Mr. Duncan's eyes twinkle again.