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p . .0iURi.IJl[ UTUAL1 FRIEND.
lad and me) that ‘you'll give us credit for rtakingthe
plamest and honestest short-cut that could be taken under
the circumstances. VVe have talked it over with adeal ‘of
care (my old lady and me), and we have felt that at all
to lead you on, or even at all to let you go on of your own
selves, wouldn't be thetright thing. So’ I have openly
given you‘to understand that-” Mr.‘ Bollin sought for a
new turn of speech, but‘could'find noneso expressive as
his former one, repeated in a confidentialtone,-“ that it
won’t do.‘ If I could have put the case more pleasantlyl
would ; but I hope I haven’t put it very unpleasantly; at
all eventsl haven't meant to.‘-‘I S0,!’ said Mr.‘ Boflin, by
way of: peroration,’ “ wishing you well in the way you go,
we now conclude with the observation that perhaps you'll
Din" .- ‘I . ,I.II; .j.; 1 ,3 .,,;;,
g Mr. Lammle rose with an impudent laugh on his side
of the table, and-Mrs. Lammle rose ‘with a ‘disdainful
frown on hers. At this moment a hasty foot was heard
on the staircase, and? Georgiana Podsnap broke into the
room, unannounced and in tears. ‘ -
“‘ Oh, my dear Sophronia,”.cried Georgiana, ‘wringing
her hands as she ran up to embrace her,‘ “ to think that
you and Alfred should be ruined I Oh, my poor dear
Sophronia) to‘ think that you ‘should have had aI Sale at
your house after all your kindness to me‘! Oh, Mr. and
Irs; Boiiin,‘ pray forgive me-for this intrusion, but you
don't know"how‘ fond III was of Sophroniai when IPa
wouldn’t let me go there any more, or what I have felt
for Sophroniasince I;heard‘fro1n’Ma of . her having been;
brought low in the world. You don’t, you can’t; you-
never can, think,“howII have lain awake at. night ‘and
cried for my good‘Sophronia,i1ny first and only friend 1’-’
Mrs. Lammle’s manner changed under the poor silly
girl’s embraces, and she turned extremely pale: directing
one appealing look, first to Mrs. Boiiin, and‘ then 'to IMr.'
Boffin: 'v' Botltunderstood her instantly, with a more deli-
cate subtlety than much ‘better educated ‘people, whose
perce tion came less directly from the heart,‘could' have
broug it to bear upon the case.‘ I II I‘ '3 -'I V 2 III‘ ‘I
“ I haven't a minute,” said poor little IGeorgiana,"‘. to
stay. I am out shopping early with Ma, and l saidl had
a headache and got Ma to leave me outside in the 'phae-
ton,’ in Piccadilly, and ran round to Sackville Street,‘ and
heard that Sophronia was here,‘ and then Ma came to see,
oh sucli a dreadful old stony woman from the country. in
a turban in Portland Place, and I said -I wouldn't go up
with Ma but would drive round and leave cards for’ the
Boflin’s, which is taking a liberty with the name ; but
oh my goodnessl am distracted, and the phneton’s at the
door, and what would Pa say if he knew it I” ‘I
- "‘ Don’t ye be timid, my dear," said Mrs. Boflin.“ “ You
came in to see us.” I ‘ ‘ ‘ I I’ ' ' I -‘ " ‘
' “ Oh, no, I didn’t,” cried‘Georgiana. “It’s very’ im-
polite,‘ I know,Ibut I'came to see my poor Sophronia, my
only ‘friend. Oh IIhow I1 felt the separation,’ my dear
Sophronia, before’, I knew you-were Ibrought ‘low in.the
world, and how much moreil feel it now I ” ' "‘I‘I 4‘ p '
> Tliere‘ were actually tears in the bold'woman’s eyes, as
the soft’-headed‘ and soft-hearted girl? twined her arms
about her neck. -7 I ‘
“ But I’ve come on business,” said Georgiana, sobbing
and drying her face, and then‘searchin<r' in In little reti-
cule, ‘.5 and if I don't despatch it I shaIl'l1avo come‘,for
nothing,.and ohygood gracious! what would‘Pa say if
he knew of Sackville Street, and what would Ma say if she
was kept waiting on the pdoorsteps of that dreadful tur-
ban, and there never were-suchI pawing horses as ours
unsettlingmy mind every moment more and more when
I want ‘moreImind than I have got, by pawingJ up Mr.‘
Boiiin’s street where they have no business to be. 7 Oh I
Where is,‘ where is it? ‘Oh! I‘can’t find it I”- All this
time sobbin , and searching in the little reticule. -“W '
“ VVhat 0 you miss, my dear?” asked IMr.I“- IBoliin,
stepping forward. ‘I ‘ 5 " - ' 7 " ' 1 ' '
' ‘f Oh I it’s little enough,” replied Georgiana; “ because
Ma always treats 7me as if Iwas in Ithe nursery (I am
Sure I wish Iwas I),I but I hardly ever spend it and it has
mounted‘ up, to fifteen pounds, Sophronia, and -I hope
three five-pound notes are ‘better ‘than nothing; though
so little, so'little I 3And now I have found that-oh Imy
goodness I there’s the other ‘gone next! ’ Oh no, it isn't,
ereit'isl’T ‘V W .- "I'D I
I VVith that,Ialways sobbingand ‘searching, in the reti-
cule, Georgiana produced a necklaces I I. I I
“ Ma says chits and jewels have no business together,"
pursued Georgiana; “and that's the reason why I'have
son was ofa different opinion,‘because she left me this,
though I used to think she might just as well have bur-
ied it, for it’s always kept in jeweller‘s cotton.‘ However,
here it is, I am thankful to say, and of use at’ last, and
yon’ll sell it, dear Sophronia, and buy things with it.”
“ Give it to me,” said Mr. Boffin, gently -taking it.
“I'll see that it’s properly disposed of.” - . I . I
“Oh I are you such 9. friend of Sophronia’s, Mr. Bef-
fin?” cried‘ Georgiana. “ Oh, how good of. youl Oh,
my graciousl there was something else, and it’s gone out
of myheadl Oh no, it isn’t, I remember what it was.
My grandmamma’s property, that’l1 come to me when I
am of age, Mr. Boflin,Iwill be all my own, and neither Pa
nor Ma nor anybody else will have any control over it,
and what I wish to do is to make some of it over some-
how ' to Sophronia and Alfred, by signing something
somewhereIthat’ll prevail on somebody to advance them
something. I want them to have something handsome
to bring them up in the world again. Oh, my goodness
mel Being such a friend of my dear Sophroniifs, you
won’t refuse me, will you?”
“ No, no," said Mr. Bofiin, “it shall be seen to.”
“ Oh, thank you, thank you I”I cried Geor iana. “If
my maid had a little note and half. a crown, could run
round to the pastrycook’s to sign something, or I-could
sign something in the -‘Square if . somebody would come
and cough for mete let"em in with the key, and would
bring a pen and ink with" ’em and a bit of blotting-paper.
Oh, my gracious! I must tear myself away, or-Pa and
Ma will both .find :out I Dear, dear Sophronia, good,
good-bye I” I‘ I ' ‘ 6 I
The crcdulous little‘ creature again embraced Mrs.
Lammle most affectionately, and then held out her hand
to Mr. Lammle. . ‘ .
“ Goodsbye, dear Mr. Lammle--I mean Alfred.‘ You
won’t think after to-day thatlhave desertedyou and
Sophronia ibecauseyou have been brought low in‘ the
world, will you? 011 ‘me I oh me I I have been crying
my eyes outof my head, and Ma will be sure to ask ‘me
what's the matter.’ Oh, take me down, somebody, please,
please, please If’I I = - . . I
Mr. Boflin took her down, and saw her drivensaway,
with her poor little red eyes and weak chin peering over
the cat apron of the custard-coloured phaeton, as if
she ad-been ordered to expiate some childish misde-
mcanour bygoing to bed in the daylight, and were peep-
ing over the counterpane ‘in a miserable flutter of repent-
ance and low spirits. Returning to, the breakfast-room,
he found'Mrs.‘ Lammle still standing on her side of the
table,Iand Mr.ILamInle‘on his. - >- I I '
‘‘I’ll take ’care,”Isaid Mr. Boflln,‘ showing the money
and the necklace, “ that these are soon given back.”'
Mrs. Lammle had takenlup her parasol from a side
table, and stood sketching with it on the pattern of the
damask cloth, as she had sketched on the pattern of Mr.
’I'wemlow’s papered wall.’ ' ' " -
“You will not undeceiveher Ihopc, Mr. Boflini”
she said, turning her head towards him, but not her
eyes.‘ ' "II II‘ - I ‘ I ‘
I "No,” said’Mr.‘Bo1lin. 5 -7- I I g .I I - I
- “ I mean, ‘as to’ the ‘worth and value of her friend,”
Mrs. Lammle explained in a measured voice, and with
an emphasison her last word. - ‘ ‘ - ' ’
r‘ “ No,” he returned. : “ I may try to give a hint at her
home that she is in want of kind and careful protection,
but I shall say no more than that to her parents, and I
shall say nothing to the young lady herself." I I
%’ "Mr. and Mrs. Boflin," said Mrs. Lammle; still sketch-
ing, and seeming to bestow great pains nponit, “there are
not many people, I think, who,Iunder the circumstances,
would have been so considerate and sparing as you have
been to me just now.I Do you care to be thanked? ”‘I
V “ Thanks are always worth having,”4said Mrs. Bollin,
inher ready good nature. ' ‘ I ’ -I I
t “ Then thank you both.”.
“."Sophronia," askedher husband, mockinglyf “are
you sentimental?” - I ‘ ' ' ‘ '
no trinkets except this, but I suppose my aunt Hawkin'- '