away till father comes home. Don't be
angry, please.'

'I'm not angry, child,' continued Mrs Blossom. 'I only want a little
maid to come mornings, and go away nights, like a char-woman.'

'Mother used to go charing sometimes,' remarked Meg.

'I'm not a rich woman,' resumed Mrs Blossom, 'and Mr George has his old
father to keep, as lives down in my own village, and I know him well;
so we can't give great wages. I'd give you a half-quartern loaf a day,
and Mr George threepence for the present, while it's winter. Would
that suit your views?'

'What could I do with Robbie and baby?' asked Meg, with an air of
perplexed thought.

'Couldn't you leave 'em with a neighbour?' suggested Mrs Blossom.

Meg pondered deeply for a while. Kitty had told her the night before
that she had got some sailors' shirts to sew, and would stay at home to
make them. She could trust Robin and the baby with Kitty, and instead
of lighting a fire in her own attic she could give her the coals, and
so save her fuel, as part payment for taking charge of the children.
Yet Meg felt a little sad at the idea of leaving them for so long a
time, and seeing so little of them each day, and she knew they would
miss her sorely. But nothing else could be done, and she accepted Mrs
Blossom's offer thankfully.

'You needn't be here afore nine o' the morning,' said Mrs Blossom;
'it's too early for Posy to be passing by; and you can go away again as
soon as it's dark in the evening. You mustn't get any breakfast, you
know, because that's in our bargain; and I'd never grudge you a meal's
meat for the children either, bless 'em! They shall come and have a
good tea with us sometimes, they shall--specially on Sundays, when Mr
George is at home; and if you'd only got your clothes out o' pawn, we'd
all go to church together. But we'll see, we'll see.'

Meg entered upon her new duties the next morning, after committing the
children, with many lingering kisses and last good-byes, into Kitty's
charge, who promised faithfully to be as kind to them as Meg herself.
If it had not been for her anxiety with regard to them, she would have
enjoyed nothing better than being Mrs Blossom's little maid. The good
woman was so kindly and motherly that she won Meg's whole heart; and to
see her sit by the shop window, knitting a very large long stocking for
Mr George, but with her eyes scanning every woman's face that went by,
made her feel full of an intense and childish i