hundred pounds. It shall mean four hundred pounds'-worth of life.
While this money lasts, I'll feel that I'm a human being."

"Something to be said for that," commented the listener, in his tone
of drowsy impartiality.

"I offered Emily half of it. She didn't want to take it, and the man
Marr wouldn't let her. I offered to lay it aside for the child, but
Marr wouldn't have that either, It's fairly mine."

"Undoubtedly."

"Think! The first time in my life that I've had money on which no
one else had a claim. When the poor old father died, Will and I had
to go shares in keeping up the home. Our sister couldn't earn
anything; she had her work set in attending to her mother. When
mother died, and Marian married, it looked as if I had only myself
to look after: then came Will's death, and half my income went to
keep his wife and child from the workhouse. You know very well I've
never grudged it. It's my faith that we do what we do because
anything else would be less agreeable. It was more to my liking to
live on a pound a week than to see Emily and the little lass suffer
want. I've no right to any thanks or praise for it. But the change
has come none too soon. There'd have been a paragraph in the Dudley
paper some rainy morning."

"Yes, I was rather afraid of that," said Narramore musingly.

He let a minute elapse, whilst his friend paced the room; then added
in the same voice: