fagged and tired, and with a worried expression between her eyebrows.
"Mrs. Ellsworthy," she said, "I am most grateful to you for being so
kind to us. I know you won't approve at all of our plan--you will
agree with Mr. Danesfield, who said he thought we had taken leave of
our senses, but I think we have made up our minds, and as we have no
guardian, there is no one to prevent us doing as we please."

"Oh, Primrose, how sad you look!" said Jasmine. "Has Mr. Danesfield
been disagreeable to you? Well, I know our darling Mrs. Ellsworthy
won't. Tell her our plan quickly. Primrose, she says you don't love
her--tell her you do love her. Oh, she is sweet and dear and
kind--tell her our plan--she won't throw cold water on what we wish to
do--she won't think it wrong that we three girls should wish to keep
together."

"Our plan is this," said Primrose, "I have asked Mr. Danesfield to
give us what money he has of ours, and then we three are going to sell
our furniture here, and to give up the cottage, and say good-bye to
dear Hannah, and we are going to London. In London we shall learn. I
am going to have lessons in painting, and Jasmine shall study English
composition, and she shall be taught how to write properly; and Daisy,
too, must be taught, and we will do that with our money which is now
in the bank, and when it is spent we shall be able to support
ourselves. After all, it is a very simple plan, and the best thing
about it is that it will keep us together."

When Primrose began to talk Mrs. Ellsworthy threw down her hands in
her lap with a gesture of great impatience. Now she asked in a short
dry voice, "May I ask what money you have in the bank?"