"Partly. Of course Papa's death compelling us to give up our old home and all our property set me thinking, and then I heard a few things from the fellows at school."
"What things?" demanded Molly angrily.
"Oh, nothing much!" said Arthur. And then, to turn the conversation, he said, "Are you cooking that for me, Molly?"
"Yes, dear. We did not have any pudding for dinner to-day, so I am making you an omelette with plenty of eggs."
"Don't let it cost much, Molly, because I know somehow that we cannot afford it."
"But—but what is it? Why are we so poor as you make out?" asked his sister in a perplexed tone. "We gave up everything when Papa died, and—"
"Yes, it seems we were obliged to do it. The same thing would have happened if Papa had lived, I have heard."
"But why should it?" demanded Molly in an imperative tone. "Everybody knows we are one of the oldest county families, and—"
"Yes, but look here, Moll; it isn't enough to be an old county family in these days. Everybody has to put his shoulder to the wheel and do something, and our folks have just been content to sit down and eat up the land, instead of trying to improve it, or wait for something to turn up, as Annie wanted me to do. That sort of thing is played out, and it would have been a good deal better for us if somebody had told Papa the truth about things as they told me."
"Who told you?" asked Molly.