"You must agree to wait for a new dress until you can pay for it," added Arthur.
Annie looked struck with amazement that such a proposal should be made to her. "I never heard of such a thing! To ask a lady to pay for everything when she buys it!"
"Now, Annie, be reasonable. The Murrays are over head and ears in debt, I can hear all round. Don't you think it would be worth while to try and turn over a new leaf? The running into debt has caused trouble enough; you will be no less a lady if you avoid it and wait a bit longer for the new dress."
"Is that what you are going to do about the tailor's bills?" asked Annie, with something like a sneer. "You want a new suit of clothes; aren't you going to order them?"
"No, not yet," said Arthur bravely. "I shall have to take a little more care of my clothes in the future, so as to make them last longer; but what I have got must do for me for the next month or two."
Annie sighed. "Oh, how hateful poverty is!" she exclaimed.
"Yes, but we can conquer it if we only put our shoulder to the wheel resolutely. And after all, I think I would rather people said, 'How shabby that young Murray looks!' than that they should whisper, 'Eh, Murray looks smart, don't he? But you know his clothes aren't paid for; the Murrays never do pay their bills until they are obliged to.'"
"Arthur!" exclaimed Molly indignantly. "Nobody ever would say such a thing about us!"
"Oh, wouldn't they though! Don't you make any mistake, Molly. People all live in glass houses nowadays. I have had things thrown up at me at school, I can tell you. It has been hard for you girls, I know, but I have had my share too, and to end all this and be able to look people in the face, and know I don't owe anybody a penny, will be worth wearing shabby clothes for. You must keep them as tidy as you can, of course, because I should not like to look downright shabby at my work. But to look smart; well, I'll wait a bit for that, until some of the debts are paid off."
"But you can't expect Mamma to do this vulgar sort of thing," protested Annie. "She has been used to order things just when she wanted them, and she told me to-day I must write and order a new dressing-gown; she is getting so tired of wearing nothing but black."