It may be a comfort to you from time to time.' 'You are good, kind dears!' replied Monica, kissing the one on the lips and the other on her thinly-tressed head.

'It's no use saying you oughtn't to have spent money on me; you _will_ always do it.

What a nice "Christian Year"! I'll do my best to read some of it now and then.' With a half-guilty air, Virginia then brought from some corner of the room a very small but delicate currant cake.

Monica must eat a mouthful of this; she always had such a wretched breakfast, and the journey from Walworth Road was enough to give an appetite.
'But you are ruining yourselves, foolish people!' The others exchanged a look, and smiled with such a strange air that Monica could not but notice it.
'I know!' she cried.

'There's good news.