"You pay three hundred a year for me, don't you?"
"For your school bills, yes. Besides, I give you an allowance and buy your clothes."
"How do you do it?" asked Nicholas, in surprise. "Have you sold the house?"
"No. If I should do that, there would soon be nothing left. That was the problem I had to solve three years ago, when your father died."
"What did you do?"
"I felt that the property must not be touched, save the income. I saw that it was necessary for me to exert myself, or I should be unable to educate you as I desired. I had a good education, and I determined to avail myself of it. I therefore went to a teacher's agency in New York and set forth my desire to obtain the position of governess in some family in the country."
"You a governess!"
"Why not? It was the only way I could think of that would yield me an income. After waiting a few weeks I succeeded. A wealthy gentleman, living in a country town of moderate size, saw my testimonials, was pleased with them, and engaged me to superintend the education of an orphan niece resident in his family. He offered me a fair salary—enough, added to the rent which I received from the property left me by your father, to justify me in putting you at this boarding-school. That was three years ago."
"Why didn't you tell me all this before, mother?"
"It would have done no good. I preferred that you should think of me as possessing an independent property. I felt that it would enable you the better to hold up your head among your school-fellows, as they could know nothing of your antecedents."