Lucy shook her head.

“I cannot tell.  We may learn more later.  Don Pedro has gone to Pierside to search, and my father says that he will send Cockatoo there also to search.”

“Well,” sighed Mrs. Jasher wearily, “I hope that all this trouble will come to an end.  That green mummy has proved most unlucky.  Leave me now, dear girls, as I feel somewhat tired.”

“Good-bye,” said Lucy, kissing her.  “I hope that you will be better this evening.  Don’t get up unless you feel quite able.”

“Oh, I shall take my ease in the drawing-room.”

“I thought you always called it the parlor,” laughed the girl.

“Ah,” Mrs. Jasher smiled, “you see I am practicing against the time when I shall be mistress of the Pyramids, You can’t call that large room there a parlor,” and she laughed weakly.

Altogether, Mrs. Jasher impressed both Lucy and Donna Inez with the fact that she was very weak and scarcely able, as she put it, to draw one leg after the other.  Both the girls would have been surprised to see what a hearty meal Mrs. Jasher made that evening, when she was up and dressed.  Perhaps she felt that her strength needed keeping up, but she certainly partook largely of the delicate dinner provided by Jane, who was a most excellent cook.

After dinner, Mrs. Jasher lay on a pink couch in the pink parlor by a splendid fire, for the night was cold and raw with a promise of rain.  The widow had a small table at her elbow, on which stood a cup of coffee and a glass of liquor.  The rose-colored curtains were drawn, the rose-shaded lamps were lighted, and the whole interior of the cottage looked very comfortable indeed.  Mrs. Jasher, in a crocus-yellow tea-gown trimmed with rich black lace, reclined on her couch like Cleopatra in her barge.  In the pink light she looked very well preserved, although her face wore an anxious expression.  This was due to the fact that the mail had come in and the three letters brought by the postman had to do with creditors.  Mrs. Jasher was always trying to make both ends meet, and had a hard struggle to keep her head above water.  Certainly, since she had inherited the money of her brother, the Pekin merchant, she need not have looked so worried.  But she did, and made no disguise of it, seeing that she was quite alone.

After a time she went to her desk and took out a bundle of bills and some other letters, also an account book and a bank book.  Over these she pored for quite an hour.  The clock struck nine before she looked up from this unpleasant task, and she found her financial position anything but satisfactory.  With a weary sigh she rose and stared at herself in the mirror over the fireplace, frowning as she did so.