The Eyres certainly had married young, and Flo's ill health had been an expense to them. Still, Mrs. Eyre was a good manager, and they had kept out of debt, and had even saved a very few pounds. The little hoard paid the doctor, and this left a very tiny sum to carry them on until Mr. Eyre could claim a month's salary.
No wonder he sighed and she looked grave; her head was full of plans for lessening her expenditure; and poor Hetty, polishing the cups and saucers until they shone again, and shedding plenteous tears over the sorely changed kettle, little thought what far greater cause for weeping she was about to have.
[CHAPTER VI.]
MRS. GOODENOUGH'S ADVICE.
MRS. EYRE, thinking and thinking how to lessen her already moderate outlay, made up her mind, with much regret, that she must part with Hetty. Without Mrs. Goodenough she felt she could not manage, but although Flo would miss her sadly, Hetty must go; for truly there was so little spent, save on necessaries, that to part with Hetty, keep Lina at home from school, and do without a new bonnet, was all the poor little woman could think of.
So when the morning walk and the early dinner were over, Lina and Edgar out at play, and Flo dozing on the sofa, Mrs. Eyre said,—
"You cannot think, Hetty, how sorry I am. But Mr. Eyre's illness, and his absence from the shop, makes such a difference to us that I find I must do without you, for the present; and of course I could not ask you to stay at home waiting until I could have you again."
"Oh, ma'am! Me to go home? Oh, I thought you'd forgiven me, ma'am, and—"
"It is not that at all. I do not expect a girl of your age to be a first-rate servant all at once, and you have been very useful and a great help to me. It is just what I say: I must lessen my weekly expenses, and this is one of the very few ways in which I can do so. And I am very sorry to lose you, Hetty."
Hetty got up and crept away to cry in secret, for she did not want to awake Flo. But, unfortunately, Flo had not been quite asleep, and had understood what was said only too well. She was in a sad way; in fact, I do not know which wept most, Flo or Hetty. But I do know that the saddest person there, on whose shoulders all the trouble would fall, was Mrs. Eyre, who did not cry at all, but said to her husband,—