"Then you must be hungry at once, sir. I will go and bring you something
the very sight of which will make you hungry."
"But you have no money, Annie; and, not being able to pay, we must go
without. Come, we will go to bed." "Yes, I am ready; I had a good
breakfast. But you have had nothing all day. And for money, do you know
Miss Hamper, the dressmaker, actually offered to lend me a shilling, and
I took it. Here it is. You see, I was so sure you would bring money home
that I thought we _might_ run that much farther into debt. So I got
you two fresh eggs and such a lovely little white loaf. Besides, I have
just thought of something else we could get a little money for--that
dainty chemise my mother made for me with her own hands when we were
going to be married. I will take it to the pawnbroker to-morrow."
"I was never in a pawnshop, Annie. I don't think I should know how to
set about it."
"_You!_" cried Annie, with a touch of scorn. "Do you think I would
trust a man with it? No; that's a woman's work. Why, you would let the
fellow offer you half it was worth--and you would take it too. I shall
show it to Mrs. Whitmore: _she_ will know what I ought to get for
it. She's had to do the thing herself--too often, poor thing!"
"It would be like tearing my heart out."
"What! to part with my pretty chemise. Hector, dear, you must not be
foolish! What does it matter, so long as we are not cheating anybody?
The pawnshop is a most honorable and useful institution.
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