down at her.

"A thousand pounds a year!" She turned to Jerry and asked: "Does she
get a thousand a year for abusin' me?"

"For taking care of you," corrected Jerry.

"Well, what do ye think of that?" cried Peg, gazing curiously at Mrs.
Chichester. "A thousand pounds a year for makin' me miserable, an' the
poor dead man thinkin' he was doin' me a favour!"

"I tell you this," went on Jerry, "because I don't want you to feel
that you have been living on charity. You have not."

Peg suddenly blazed up:

"Well, I've been made to feel it," and she glared passionately at her
aunt. "Why wasn't I told this before? If I'd known it I'd never have
stayed with ye a minnit Who are YOU, I'd like to know, to bring me up
any betther than me father? He's just as much a gentleman as any of
yez. He never hurt a poor girl's feelin's just because she was poor.
Suppose he hasn't any money? Nor ME? What of it? Is it a crime? What
has yer money an' yer breedin' done for you? It's dried up the very
blood in yer veins, that's what it has! Yer frightened to show one
real, human, kindly impulse. Ye don't know what happiness an' freedom
mean. An' if that is what money does, I don't want it. Give me what
I've been used to--POVERTY. At least I can laugh sometimes from me
heart, an' get some pleasure out o' life without disgracin' people!"

Peg's anger gave place to just as sudden a twinge of regret as she
caught sight of Ethel, white-faced, and staring at her compassionately.
She went across to Ethel and buried her face on her shoulder and wept
as she wailed.

"Why WASN'T I told! I'd never have stayed! Why wasn't I told?"

And Ethel comforted her:

"Don't cry, dear," she whispered. "Don't. The day you came here we were
beggars. You have literally, fed and housed us for the last month."

Peg looked up at Ethel in astonishment.

She forgot her own sorrow.

"Ye were beggars?"

"Yes. We have nothing but the provision made for your training."

Poor Mrs. Chichester looked at her daughter reproachfully.

Alaric had never seen his sister even INTERESTED much less EXCITED
before. He turned to his mother, shrugged his shoulders and said:

"I give it up! That's all I can say! I simply give it up!"

Peg grasped the full meaning of Ethel's words:

"And will ye have nothin' if I go away?"

Peg paused: Ethel did not speak.

Peg persisted: "Tell me--are ye ralely dependin' on ME? Spake to me.
Because if ye are, I won't go. I'll stay with ye