"I hope you will, Mark, but as we are at present situated it will be hard to rise."
"Plenty of poor boys have risen, and why not I?"
"It is natural for the young to be hopeful, but I have had a good deal to depress me. Did you remember that the rent comes due the day after to-morrow?"
"How much have you towards it, mother?"
"Only five dollars, and it's eight. I don't see where the other three dollars are coming from, unless,"—and here her glance rested on the plain gold ring on her finger.
"Pledge your wedding-ring, mother!" exclaimed Mark. "Surely you don't mean that?"
"I would rather do it than lose our shelter, poor as it is."
"There must be some other way—there must be."
"You will not receive any wages till Saturday."
"No, but perhaps we can borrow something till then. There's Mrs. Mack up-stairs. She has plenty of money, though she lives in a poor way."