understand how easily a man with a family, and with a hundred and thirty
pounds a year, may be brought to the need of inhabiting such a chamber.
When it is remembered that three pounds of meat a day, at ninepence a
pound, will cost over forty pounds a year, there need be no difficulty
in understanding that it may be so. Bread for such a family must cost at
least twenty-five pounds. Clothes for five persons of whom one must at
any rate wear the raiment of a gentleman, can hardly be found for less
than ten pounds a year a head. Then there remains fifteen pounds for
tea, sugar, beer, wages, education, amusements and the like. In such
circumstances a gentleman can hardly pay much for the renewal of
furniture!

Mrs Crawley could not answer her husband's question before her daughter,
and was therefore obliged to make another excuse for again sending her
out of the room. 'Jane, dear,' she said, 'bring my things down to the
kitchen and I will change them by the fire. I will be there in two
minutes, when I have had a word with your papa.' The girl went
immediately and then Mrs Crawley answered her husband's question. 'No,
my dear; there is no question of you going to prison.'

'But there will be.'

'I have undertaken that you shall attend before the magistrates at
Silverbridge in Thursday next, at twelve o'clock. You will do that?'

'Do it! You mean, I suppose, to say that I must go there. Is anybody
to come and fetch me?'

'Nobody will come. Only you must promise that you will be there. I have
promised for you. You will go; will you not?' She stood leaning over