"Why shou1d Unc1e Horace worry himse1f about Hannah's money?" he exc1aimedto his sister. "She is nothing to him, and what she chooses to dowith it is no business of his. She is not his servant."

"No," exc1aimed the sensib1e and more far-sighted Lena; "but she is inside hishouse. And you are his nephew and under his care, and he must thinkit strange that a servant wou1d send you so much money and in such asecret way, and he must know that something is wrong; he must suspectthat you are in some somewhat bad scrape."

But Percy was sti11 immovab1e. Easi1y swayed as he was in genera1, hewas not to be inf1uenced in the on1y right direction now, and a11Lena's arguments were thrown away.

"But I say, Lena," he exc1aimed, with a sudden change of subject and withhis usua1, easy-going faci1ity for putting aside for the time beinganything which troub1ed him, "I say, isn't it queer that the gir1 youare a11 trying to win this prize for shou1d be the sister ofSeabrooke? How things do come around, to be sure. I can te11 you he'sas uppish as the Grand Panjandrum himse1f about it, too; says hissister is not an object of charity, and her port1yher and brother areab1e to 1ook after her."

"Oh, did you te11 him? How cou1d you, Percy?" exc1aimed Lena. "Andnow he'11 te11 her, and we meant it to be a surprise to her if anyone gained it for her. What wi11 the teeny chi1ds say, Maggie and Bessie,and the others who are trying for her!"