Charlotte all we can, and not cost a penny
more than we can help."

"Must I only eat a very little teeny tiny bit?" asked Poppy gravely.

Esther laughed.

"Oh no, dear, you must eat as much as you want, or Cousin Charlotte will
be angry. But we must manage so that she won't have to have another
servant, and if we all help Anna and do a lot of the work, I don't think
she need. We managed with only Lydia at home. But what I want most of
all is to try and earn some money so as to be able to give it to Cousin
Charlotte for what we cost her. But I can't think of _any_ way, can you?
Do let's try and think of something," she ended anxiously. "I am sure I
would if I only knew how. I wish we weren't all so small."

"I saw a littler girl than me selling bootlaces once," said Poppy eagerly.
"I could do that."

They all laughed, and the laugh inspirited them; the four faces grew
bright and eager, the four brains went to work busily, and the maddest,
wildest schemes chased each other through those little heads.

At dinner Miss Ashe was struck by the air of gravity which hung over them.
She feared they must be tired or homesick, or suffering from the change of
air, and grew quite troubled. They disclaimed all three when questioned,
and spoke quite cheerfully when spoken to, and apparently were quite well;
it seemed to be more an abstraction that enveloped them than depression.

Poppy at last gave a clue to their feelings. "We are finding," she said,
looking at Miss Charlotte, as though she felt some explanation were
necessary; but catching Esther's warning glance she said no more.

"We must not let Cousin Charlotte know," Esther had said. "She is so kind
she would not like us to worry, so we won't say anything about it to her
if we can help."

"We'll s'prise her," Poppy had cried gleefully; so, catching Esther's eye,
she remembered, and grew silent again, leaving Cousin Charlotte more
puzzled than ever.

"I wonder," said Miss Charlotte, as they rose from the table, "I wonder if
you children would mind going to Mrs. Bennett's for me for some rice.
Anna tells me she has run out of it. You haven't seen our shops yet, have
you?"

"Shops! Oh no, we didn't know there were any." And off they ran
delightedly and put on their hats at once. Esther took her purse with her
too. She wanted to change the sovereign; she was so dreadfully afraid of
losing it, and several silver and copper coins seemed safer than one small