p just now, and I should have got only
tenpence. I suppose that's taking care of me, isn't it?'

'I don't know,' said Kitty. 'Only let me do that for you when you want
it done again.'

It was not very long before it wanted to be done again; and then Meg by
daylight went through the contents of the box, choosing out those
things which could best be spared, but leaving Robin's and baby's fine
clothes to the last. She clung to these with a strong desire to save
them, lest it should happen that her father came home too poor to
redeem them. The packet of money, tied up and sealed, fell at last to
the bottom of the almost empty box, and rolled noisily about whenever
it was moved, but no thought of taking any of it entered into Meg's
head. She was almost afraid of looking at it herself, lest the secret
of it being there should get known in Angel Court; and whenever she
mentioned it in her prayers, which she did every night, asking God to
take care of it, she did not even whisper the words, much less speak
them aloud, as she did her other requests, but she spoke inwardly only,
for fear lest the very walls themselves should hear her. No one came
near her attic, except Kitty, and she kept her promise faithfully.
Since the four bearers had carried away her mother's coffin, and since
the night Kitty came out of jail, the night of Robin's birthday, no
stranger's foot had crossed the door-sill.

But November passed, and part of December, and Meg's stock of clothes,
such as were of any value at the pawn-shop, was almost exhausted. At
the end of the year the term for which her father had paid rent in
advance would be over, and Mr Grigg might turn her and her children out
into the streets. What was to be done? How was she to take care of
Robin, and baby, and the money belonging to one of father's mates?

CHAPTER IX

Little Meg's Friends in Need

These were hard times for little Meg. The weather was not severely
cold yet, or the children would have been bitterly starved up in their
cold attic, where Meg was obliged to be very careful of the coal. All
her mother's clothes were in pledge now, as well as her own and
Robin's; and it seemed as if it would soon come to pawning their poor
bed and their scanty furniture. Yet Meg kept up a brave spirit, and,
as often as the day was fine enough, took her children out into the
streets, loitering about the cook-shops, where the heat from the cellar
kitchens lent a soothing w