"Why, I have never thought of doing anything but being with you,
working a little, reading a little, going out a little, and having
nobody over me but you, my own darling sister. It stuns me to be told
that I must go to work for a livelihood."

"I hope we may be able to live together as you hoped, eventually; but
in the meantime we must both put our shoulders to the wheel."

"Have we no friends who would give us a home--at least for a while,
till we get accustomed to the thought of hard work?" said Elsie.

"We have no relations, and we have made but few friends. I fear no one
would come forward to help us now that we need help so much. It is a
pity that my uncle kept us so much to himself, and that we were so
fully occupied with our own home duties that we had little or no
time for society. Now we have no capital for a start, and no friends to
help us on, only our talents and our education--a small
stock-in-trade, I fear."

In the course of the afternoon the man-servant, James, announced that
Mr. Dalzell was below, and that he sent his compliments and wished to
know how the young ladies were.

It was not the first visit since Mr. Hogarth's death. He had paid a
visit of condolence on the following day, and had never been so
affectionate or impressive in his manner to Jane as on that occasion.

"Show Mr. Dalzell upstairs, James," said Jane; "I think I should like
to see him."