"No, it is _there_," said Kate.
"Yes, but Ruth, you know, didn't count the money till she came here, and
so did not detect the extra penny, and we forgot it. Every farthing
there has been apportioned on that list and must be accounted for. I
couldn't bear to take a penny out of the sum, and have to tell Ruth that
we kept it off because it was ours. It would seem so mean, for she
cannot know how much we need it. Besides, from which of the poor
people's little stores could we deduct it?"
This last argument had more weight with Kate than the others, so, with a
little sigh, she proceeded to open Ruth's letter, while Jessie poured
out a cup of cold tea, gazing pathetically the while at the pile of
money which still lay glittering on the table.
Ruth's letter contained two 5 pounds Bank of England notes, and ran as
follows:--
"DEAREST JESSIE AND KATE,--I sent your screen to the institution for
the sale of needlework, where it was greatly admired. One gentleman
said it was quite a work of genius! a lady, who seemed to estimate
genius more highly than the gentleman, bought it for 10 pounds, which
I now enclose. In my opinion it was worth far more. However, it is
gratifying that your first attempt in this way has been successful.
"YOUR LOVING RUTH."
"Loving indeed!" exclaimed Kate in a tremulous voice.
Jessie appeared to have choked on the cold tea, for, after some
ineffectual attempts at speech, she retired to the window and coughed.
The first act of the sisters, on recovering, was to double the amount on
Ruth's list of poor people, and to work out another sum in short
division on the back of an old letter.
"Why did you deceive me, dear?" said Mrs Dotropy, on reaching the
street after her visit. "You said you were going with me to see poor
people, in place of which you have taken me to hear a consultation
_about_ poor people with two ladies, and now you propose to return
home."
"The two ladies are themselves _very_ poor."
"No doubt they are, child, but you cannot for a moment class them with
those whom we usually style `the poor.'"
"No, mother, I cannot, for they are far worse off than these. Having
been reared in affluence, with tenderer feelings and weaker muscles, as
well as more delicate health, they are much less able to fight the
battle of adversity than the lower poor, and I happen to know that the
dear Misses Seaward are reduced just now to the very last extreme of
poverty. But you have relieved them, mother."
"I, child! How?"
"The nursery screen that you bought yesterday by my advice was decorated
by Jessie and Kate Seaward, so I thought it would be nice to let you see
for yourself how sweet and `deserving' are the poor people whom you have
befriended!"