"How do you know?" demanded Annie sharply, for she had made up her mind that nothing could be done in the matter, and therefore she should not tell her brother of the lawyer's visit.
"We may as well tell him, Annie," said Molly; "he knows more about things than we do. Mr. Andrews says we are living beyond our income, and we must curtail our expenses somehow," she explained.
"The butcher and the fishmonger have been bothering me to pay their bills, and so, of course, I had to send and ask Mr. Andrews to forward me a cheque to do it with. And instead of sending it, he came to tell me that there was no more money to be had out of all our property," added Annie in a tone of intense bitterness.
"And Hannah says she has never been used to being told she must be careful with this, that, and the other, and won't have it now, so has given us notice," said Molly, as if this must fill up their cup of woe.
Arthur rested his chin on his hands and his elbows on the table, to think over what his sisters had told him. "I wish I knew just how things are," he said at last. "I wonder whether I could see Mr. Andrews to-night if I went there?"
"But why should you go?" interrupted Annie. "It is getting late, and you must be tired, I am sure, after all the work you have to do at that shop. I don't see how we are to live on less money than we do!" concluded Annie doggedly.
"Well, I'll go and see if I can have a talk with Mr. Andrews. If there is a disagreeable thing to do the sooner it's done the better." And, picking up his cap, Arthur went out without giving his sisters time for further protest.
"I am very glad you have come, Mr. Murray," said the lawyer, when Arthur was announced. "I tried to explain to your sister this afternoon that every bit of the property has been mortgaged to its full, that is, to its present, value. By and by it will be worth more, and may bring in a fair rental if we can only hold on for a bit longer, and keep the interest on the mortgages paid up. But to do this I cannot afford to allow your sisters more than fifty pounds a year, besides the seventy-five pounds that is secured to your mother. I tried to explain this to them to-day, pointing out to them the advantage it would be to all of you, in years to come. But if they cannot lessen the household expenses, there will be nothing for it but to sell the property for about half what it will be worth in a few years' time. I should think it might be done. What do you think, Mr. Arthur?"
"I don't know much about housekeeping, and what it costs, but you know I am earning a little now that would add to the income. Only I suppose they would have to be careful and regulate their expenditure, and that is what we have not done."
"No Murray ever did it. Your family has been an easy-going, careless people, shunning all the responsibilities of life as far as possible, as long as a penny could be wrung out of the land, without anything being done to improve it. That is the secret of the whole matter, Mr. Arthur. But as you have shown yourself a sensible lad in taking this situation at Brading's, I am beginning to hope I may yet live to see the property partially cleared at least, so that your mother and sisters may be provided for in years to come."