"I think it will be ready for telling you
after breakfast. And if you like, you may listen to something I am going
to ask nurse at breakfast, and, perhaps, that will help you to guess
what the plan is."

At breakfast time Carrots was all ears. All ears and no tongue, so that
nurse began to wonder if he was ill.

"I shouldn't like you to be ill the very day after Master Jack has
gone," she said anxiously (Jack had gone up to town by the night train
with his father), "one trouble at a time is quite enough for your poor
mamma."

"Is Jack's going to the big school a trouble?" asked Floss, opening her
eyes very wide, "I thought they were all very glad."

"My dear," said nurse solemnly, "one may be glad of a thing and sorry
too. And changes mostly are good and bad together."

Floss did not say any more, but she seemed to be thinking about what
nurse had said. Carrots was thinking too.

"When I'm a man," he said at last, "I won't go to a big school if Floss
doesn't want me to."

Nurse smiled. "There's time enough to see about that," she said, "get on
with your breakfast, Master Carrots; you'll never grow a big boy if you
don't eat plenty."

"Nurse," said Floss, suddenly, "what's the dearest thing we eat? what
costs most?"

"Meat, now-a-days, Miss Flossie," said nurse.

"Could we do without it?" asked Floss. Nurse shook her head.

"What could we do without?" continued the child. "We couldn't do without
bread or milk, I suppose. What could we do without that costs money?"

"Most things do that," said nurse, who began to have a glimmering of
what Floss was driving at, "but the money's well spent in good food to
make you strong and well."

"Then isn't there anything we could do without--without it hurting us, I
mean?" said Floss, in a tone of disappointment.

"Oh yes," said nurse, "I daresay there is. Once a little boy and girl I
knew went without sugar in their tea for a month, and their grandmother
gave them sixpence each instead."

"Sixpence!" exclaimed Floss, her eyes gleaming.

"Sixpence each," corrected nurse.

"Two sixpences, that would be a shilling. Carrots, do you hear?"

Carrots had been listening with might and main, but was rather puzzled.

"Would two sixpennies pay for two hoops?" he whispered to Floss, pulling
her pinafore till she bent her head down to listen.

"Of course they would. At least I'm almost sure. I'll ask nurse. Nurse,
dear," she went on in a louder voice, "do you think we mig