“No, my dear; of course not; but we all must think of it, you know.”

Her cousin John had not thought of it, and she did not want any one else to do so. She especially did not want her aunt to think of it. But it was no doubt necessary that her aunt should consider how long she would be required to provide a home for her impoverished niece, and Margaret’s mind at once applied itself to that view of the subject. “I have made up my mind that I will go to London next week, and then I must settle upon something.”

“You mean when you go to Mr Slow’s?”

“I mean that I shall go for good. I have a little money by me, which John says I may use, and I shall take a lodging till—till—till—“ Then she could not go on any further.

“You can stay here, Margaret, if you please;—that is till something more is settled about all this affair.”

“I will go on Monday, aunt. I have made up my mind to that.” It was now Saturday. “I will go on Monday. It will be better for all parties that I should be away.” Then she got up, and waiting no further speech from her aunt, took herself off to her own room.

She did not see her aunt again till dinner-time, and then neither of them spoke to each other. Lady Ball thought that she had reason to be offended, and Margaret would not be the first to speak. In the evening, before the whole family, she told her cousin that she had made up her mind to go up to London on Monday. He begged her to reconsider her resolution, but when she persisted that she would do so, he did not then argue the question any further. But on the Sunday he implored her not to go as yet, and did obtain her consent to postpone her departure till Tuesday. He wished, he said, to be at any rate one day more in London before she went. On the Sunday she was closeted with her uncle who also sent for her, and to him she suggested her plan of becoming nurse at a hospital. He remarked that he hoped that would not be necessary.

“Something will be necessary,” she said, “as I don’t mean to eat anybody’s bread but my own.”

In answer to this he said that he would speak to John, and then that interview was over. On the Monday morning John Ball said something respecting Margaret to his mother which acerbated that lady more than ever against her niece. He had not proposed that anything special should be done; but he had hinted, when his mother complained of Margaret, that Margaret’s conduct was everything that it ought to be.

“I believe you would take anybody’s part against me,” Lady Ball had said, and then as a matter of course she had been very cross. The whole of that day was terrible to Miss Mackenzie, and she resolved that nothing said by her cousin should induce her to postpone her departure for another day.