"Thank you, Mr. Andrews. I think you may take it that my sisters will agree with me that we must certainly live within the income you can afford to pay us on these terms."
And Arthur went home, feeling very thankful that the matter had been explained to him so far, and that Molly at least would be ready and willing to fall in with the lawyer's plans.
When he reached home, however, he found that fresh trouble had arisen. Hannah said she must have a girl to help her, or she would leave at once.
"Then she had better go," said Arthur promptly, "and we will have a gas-stove fixed in the kitchen, as they have at Brading's; it will save a lot of trouble in cooking. How much do you pay Hannah?" he asked.
"Twenty pounds a year," answered Annie.
"Well, we cannot afford to part with so much as that in the future, and so I will tell Hannah that we mean to try a younger servant. Don't you think you could manage?"
"I am sure we could," answered Molly; "but who is to tell Hannah? She will be so disagreeable."
"Oh, I'll manage that!" said Arthur.
And he went at once, and said they could not afford to spend as much as they had been doing, and must have a young girl to help with the work. He was rather relieved when she said that she would leave the next day, though they heard later that she had previously arranged to go to another situation the following day.