Now, she was to earn fifteen pounds a year and “live in,” a term meaning that “Dawes’” would provide her with board and lodging; she might, also, add to her salary by commissions on sales.  The effort of packing her belongings took her mind from brooding over troubles, real or imaginary, and served to heighten her spirits.  Mrs Ellis’ words, also, put heart into her.

“People will take to a nice-mannered, well-spoken, fine-looking young lady like you, miss,” she said to Mavis.

“Nonsense!” replied Mavis.

“It ain’t, miss.  I’ve kep my eyes open, and I see how young ladies, such as you, either go ‘up’ or go ‘down.’  You’re one of the ’go uppers,’ and now you’ve a chance, why, you might, one day, have a business of your own.”

“Mind you come and deal with me if I do.  You shall always have ‘tick’ for as much as you like.”

“Thank you very much, miss; but I couldn’t enjoy wearing a thing if I didn’t know it was paid for.  I should think everyone was looking at it.”

“Time to talk about that when I get my own business.”

“And if things go wrong, which God forbid, you’ve always a home here!”

“Mrs Ellis!”

“I’m not so young as I was, and that yard gets me in the throat crool in the cold weather.  You’d be useful there too, miss, if you wouldn’t mind learning a few swear words.”

“Oh, Mrs Ellis!” laughed Mavis.

“It’s difficult at first, miss; but it’s wonderful how soon you drop into it if you give your mind to it,” declared the landlady solemnly.

Four evenings later, Mavis arrived at “Dawes’,” having sent her boxes earlier in the day.  She was to commence work on the morrow, and had been advised by the firm that it would be as well to take up her abode in her future quarters the night before.

Nine o’clock found her on the pavement before the firm’s great windows, now securely shuttered; she wondered how she should find her way inside, there being no door in the spread of shutters by which she could gain admittance.  Noticing that one or two men were dogging her footsteps, she asked a policeman how she could get into “Dawes’.”

“A new hand, miss?” asked the policeman.

“Yes.”

“I thought so.  First to the right and first to the right again, where you’ll see two or three open doors belonging to the firm,” the policeman informed her.  He had directed many fresh, comely young women, who had arrived from the country, to the “young ladies’” entrance; later, he had seen the same girls, when it was often with an effort that he could believe them to have been what they once were.