“Very well, mamma, I’ll be all smiles so long as he devotes himself to Belle; but he must stop there most emphatically.”

Thus with busy tongues and busier hands they talked of the past and the future while they unpacked and stowed away their belongings with almost the same economy of space that is practiced on shipboard.  Mrs. Wheaton was introduced, and she at once became a fast ally of Mrs. Jocelyn as well as of Mildred.

“I ’ope yer’ll halways remember yer ’ave a neighbor that’s ’andy and villing,” she said, as she courtesied herself out.  “Hit’s too bad,” she muttered, on her way back to her room, “that she’s ’ad to come down to this, for she’s a born lady; she’s has much a lady as hany ’oo howned this ’ouse a ’undred years hago.”

Thus their life began in the old mansion, and from its humble shelter they looked abroad to see what they could obtain from the great indifferent world without.

“Belle and I must not be idle an hour longer than we can help,” said Mildred resolutely, on the following day; “and the only thing is to find what it would be best to do.  I am going out to try to sell the work I did in the country, and see if I cannot get orders for more of the same kind.  My great hope is that I can work at home.  I wish I knew enough to be a teacher, but like all the rest I know a little of everything, and not much of anything.  Fancy work will be my forte, if I can only sell it.  I do hope I shan’t meet any one I know,” and heavily veiled she took her way with her dainty fabrics toward the region of fashionable shops.  Those, however, who were willing to buy offered her so little that she was discouraged, and she finally left the articles at a store whose proprietor was willing to receive them on commission.

“You must not calculate on speedy sale,” the lady in charge remarked.  “People are very generally out of town yet, and will be for some time.  Your work is pretty, however, and will sell, I think, later on, although in these hard times useful articles are chiefly in demand.”

“Please do your best for me,” said Mildred appealingly, “and please let me know what you think will sell.  I’m willing to do any kind of work I can that will bring the money we need.”  After receiving some suggestions she bought more material, and then sat down to work in the hope that the returning citizens would purchase her articles so liberally that she could do her share toward the family’s support.

She did not shrink from labor, but with the false pride so general she did shrink morbidly from meeting those who knew her in the past, and from their learning where and how she lived.  She was wholly bent on seclusion until their fortunes were greatly mended, fondly hoping that her father would rally such a constituency from his Southern acquaintance that he would soon command a fine salary.  And the expectation was not an unreasonable one, had Mr. Jocelyn been able to work with persistent energy for a few years.