"Good morning, Lucy, how do you do?" said Ellen, rising. "How is Mrs. Condy and all the family?"
"They are very well, Miss Ellen," replied Lucy. "Mrs. Condy wants you to come there this morning and go and buy the mourning for the family. And then they want you to come and sew all this week, and part of next, too."
Ellen glanced at her sister, involuntarily, and then said—
"I am afraid, Lucy, that I can't go. Margaret is very poorly, and I don't see how I can possibly leave her."
"O yes, you can go, Ellen," said Margaret. "You can fix me what I want, and come home every night. I'll do well enough."
Ellen paused a few moments, and then turning to Lucy, said—
"Tell Mrs. Condy that I will come round in the course of half an hour."
Lucy went away, and Ellen, after sitting irresolute for some minutes, said—
"I don't think, sister, that I can do any thing more for Mrs. Condy than her shopping. I wouldn't like to leave you alone. You know how bad your cough is sometimes."
"I'll do well enough through the day, Ellen," replied Margaret, though her feeble voice and languid manner told too plainly that she could not do very well at any time. "You know that our rent will be due in two weeks, and that you haven't yet got enough to pay it."