uld_ do to get enough money to give me all I needed.

For some of her money-matters had gone wrong. That I did not know till
long afterwards. It was just about the time of Mr. Nestor's illness, and
it was not till the Moor Court family had left that she found out the
worst of it--that for two or three years _at least_ we should be thirty
or forty pounds a year poorer than we had been.

It _was_ hard on her--coming at the very same time as the extra money
for the lessons left off! And the severe winter and my cold all added to
it. It even made it more difficult for her to hear of other pupils, or
to get any orders for her beautiful fancy-work. No visitors would come
to Middlemoor _this_ winter, though when it was mild they sometimes did.

Still, from the day of Dr. Cobbe's visit things improved a little--for
the time at least. And in the end it was a good thing that grandmamma
was not tempted to try her eyes with any embroidery again, as she really
might have made herself blind. It had been such a blessing that she did
not need to do it during the years she gave lessons to Sharley and her
sisters.

I went on getting better pretty steadily, especially once I was allowed
to go out a little, though, as it was a very cold spring, it was only
for some time _very_ little, just an hour or so in the best part of the
day. And grandmamma followed Dr. Cobbe's advice, though I never shall
understand how she managed to do so. She was so determined to be
cheerful that when I look back upon it now it almost makes me cry. I had
all the nourishing things to eat that it was possible to get, and how
thoughtless and ungrateful I was! My appetite was not very good, and I
remember actually grumbling at having to take beef-tea, and beaten-up
eggs, and things like that at odd times. I scarcely like to say it, but
in my heart I do not believe grandmamma had enough to eat that winter.

About Easter--or rather at the time for the big school Easter holidays,
which does not always match real Easter--we had a pleasant surprise. At
least it was a pleasant surprise for grandmamma--I don't know that I
cared about it particularly, and I certainly little thought what would
come of it!

One afternoon Gerard Nestor walked in.

Granny's face quite lighted up, and for a moment or two I felt very
excited.

'Have you all come home?' I exclaimed. 'I haven't had a letter from
Sharley for ever so long--perhaps--perhaps she meant to surprise me,' I
had bee