Ellsworthy's kindness. They are both sorry for us girls, for they know
we can't live on thirty pounds a year."

"Oh, what nonsense!" said Jasmine; "any one can live on thirty pounds
a year. Didn't you see how Poppy opened her eyes when we mentioned
it;--she thought it quite a lot of money, and said we could come to
London out of the savings. I am sure, Primrose, if any one ought to
know, it is Poppy, for her mother is really very poor."

"Mr. Danesfield, too, says we can't live on it," continued Primrose;
"and when I asked Hannah last night, she said 'Of course not'--that no
one expected us to. Now look here, Jasmine, this is all quite fresh to
you and Daisy, but I'm accustomed to it, for I have known it for
twenty-four hours, and what I say is this, if we can't live on our
income we have got to make some more income to live on. If thirty
pounds a year is not enough for us at the end, neither is it enough
for us at the beginning, so we had better see about earning an income
at once, or we'll get into debt, which will be quite awful. Jasmine, I
am afraid the days of our merry childhood are over, and I am so sorry
for you and Daisy, for you are both very young."

"Oh, I don't mind," said Jasmine--"I--I--I'd do anything--I fancy I
could make dresses best, or--Oh, suppose I wrote poetry, and sold it?
You know you and Daisy do like my poems. Do you remember how you cried
over the one I called 'An Ode to the Swallow?'"

"No, I didn't cry over that one," interrupted Daisy. "I thought that
one rather stupid--I cried over the one in which you spoke about my
darling Pink being caught in a trap, and having her leg broken."