Once she knitted a red scarf for Noel because his chest is delicate, but it was much wider at one end than the other, and he wouldn't wear it.

So we used it as a pennon, and it did very well, because most of our things are black or grey since Mother died; and scarlet was a nice change.

Father does not like you to ask for new things.

That was one way we had of knowing that the fortunes of the ancient House of Bastable were really fallen.

Another way was that there was no more pocket-money--except a penny now and then to the little ones, and people did not come to dinner any more, like they used to, with pretty dresses, driving up in cabs--and the carpets got holes in them--and when the legs came off things they were not sent to be mended, and we gave _up_ having the gardener except for the front garden, and not that very often.