"A lucky thing I had the sense to take first class tickets. Fancy St. Clair finding me in a third class carriage—and you, worse still! If Reginald was such a fool, I can't help it, it was not my concern; but I have a right to look after you, and I know my father would never have allowed you or Ada to travel third class with a lot of half-tipsy navvies, for all I could tell."
Raymond said this with a grandly magnanimous air, as if he were to be commended for brotherly attention.
Salome bit the end of her pen-holder, and could scarcely repress a smile, but she only said,—
"What do you want money for, Raymond?"
"What do I want it for? That's my business. I am not going into Roxburgh without a penny in my pocket. It's not likely."
"Well," Salome said, "I hope you will not tease mother for money. I hope you will spare her as much as you can. I believe I have some money of my own,—ten or twelve shillings,—and I can let you have it, or some of it." Salome put her hand in her pocket to get out her purse. Alas! no purse was there. "I must have left it upstairs," she said.
And Raymond exclaimed,—
"A nice hand you'll make of keeping money for the family."
"Stevens," Salome said, rushing up to Stevens, "have you seen my purse?"
"No; you've never lost it?"