ct he has, but it's fun to pretend. Suppose he remembered my
birthday and sent me a ten-pound note! Fancy me, my dear, with a whole
ten pounds to spend as I liked. What fun we'd have! Most of it would
have to go in useful things, but we'd take a sovereign or two and have a
reckless burst just to see what it was like. A hansom to town, lunch at
a real swagger restaurant; and, after that, good seats at a _matinee_,
ices between the acts, and another hansom home, instead of shivering at
the corner waiting for omnibuses. Oh, bliss! Oh, rapture! If it could
only come true! If uncle would once come to see us, he couldn't help
liking us; could he?"

"He'd like me best, because I am pretty," said Ruth calmly.

"He'd like me best, because I am so nice!" contradicted Mollie. And
then they looked at each other, and each made a little grimace, supposed
to express scorn and contempt, but in reality there was so complete an
understanding beneath the pretence that it was almost as expressive as a
caress.

After this came a few minutes' silence, while the two needles were woven
diligently to and fro; then--

"Mollie!" said Ruth suddenly, "I've come to a decision. I've been
thinking it over for ages, so don't imagine it's a whim, or that I don't
mean what I say. It's time that one of us turned out and earned some
money on our own account, and, as I'm the eldest, I'm the one to go.
Business gets worse and worse, and expenses increase, and must go on
increasing, as the children grow up. Trix will be sixteen in summer; in
less than two years she will leave school, and three grown-up daughters
are not needed in any house when the mother is well and strong. I once
thought of waiting until then; but I am twenty-two now, and, if I am to
do any good, there is no time to waste. You could get along without me
even now."

The half-darned sock fell on Mollie's knee, and for once the sunny face
looked thoroughly shocked and startled.

"I couldn't--I couldn't! None of us could! What would happen if
everything depended on me? You remind me, and keep me up to the mark,
and help me out of scrapes. I should be at my wit's end without you.
Mother consults you about everything, and the girls obey you, and the
boys pay more attention to you than they do to anyone else. Ruth,
_everybody_ needs you?"

"They love you best," Ruth said quietly. And the dark brows wrinkled in
wistful fashion.

It was the truth that she was speaking,