"What I wants is for you to tell my sister that you can get her a situation as wet-nurse; then perhaps she'll give me the money."
"If your sister wants to go out as wet-nurse, I daresay I could get her a pound a week."
"But," said Esther, "I should have to put baby out at nurse."
"You'll have to do that in any case," Jenny interposed; "you can't live for nine months on your savings and have all the nourishing food that you'll want to keep your milk going."
"If I was yer sister I'd see yer further before I'd give yer my money. You must 'ave a cheek to come a-asking for it, to go off to Australia where a girl 'as chances, and yer sister with a child at the breast left behind. Well I never!"
Jenny and the matron turned suddenly and looked at the woman in the opposite bed who had so unexpectedly expressed her views. Jenny was furious.
"What odds is it to you?" she screamed; "what business is it of yours, coming poking your nose in my affairs?"
"Come, now, I can't have any rowing," exclaimed the matron.
"Rowing! I should like to know what business it is of 'ers."
"Hush, hush, I can't have you interfering with my patients; another word and I'll order you out of the hospital."