Betty's ambition leapt to life, and her tears dried themselves on her cheeks and in her eyes.
"I'm going to sing," she said. "I'm going to stand at a street corner and sing, and I'm going to wear a tattered old dress and no boots and stockings. And then an old gentleman will pass by and he'll hear me and stand still, and he'll take me away to make a singer of me; and even lords will come to hear me sing, and kings and queens."
"I'm going without boots, too," he said, "and I shall be in tattered things. I shall get a place as errand boy first, and——"
"When are you going?" asked Betty artfully.
"To-morrow," said John.
"Why, so am I," said Betty. "How funny."
"If you like," said John, "I'll see you to some street corner. I'm going at five o'clock in the morning."
"Why, so am I," said Betty. "Oh, yes; let's go together."
"You can be down at the store by half-past five," said John. "That'll give us time to get a bit of breakfast. And we'll be in Sydney early, before they find out we've gone."