.

THE BEGINNING OF THE END.
'Well, I MUST say,' mother said, looking at the wishing carpet as it lay, all darned and mended and backed with shiny American cloth, on the floor of the nursery--'I MUST say I've never in my life bought such a bad bargain as that carpet.' A soft 'Oh!' of contradiction sprang to the lips of Cyril, Robert, Jane, and Anthea.

Mother looked at them quickly, and said-- 'Well, of course, I see you've mended it very nicely, and that was sweet of you, dears.' 'The boys helped too,' said the dears, honourably.
'But, still--twenty-two and ninepence! It ought to have lasted for years.

It's simply dreadful now.

Well, never mind, darlings, you've done your best.