ll that the service would begin in a
quarter of an hour. It sounded like a friend's voice calling her. Her
Aunt Candy's church bell joined in, and Mr. Everett's church, and Mr.
Schoenflocker's church; but that one which Mr. Ulshoeffer rang was the
loudest of all to Matilda's ear. She could hardly stand it. Then Maria
burst in.

"What are you going to do?" said Matilda.

"Do? Why, I am going to church, of course; and in a hurry."

"And Anne and Letty?"

"Certainly; and Issa too."

Matilda said no more, but hastily made herself ready, and went down
with the rest.

CHAPTER IX.

Anne and Letitia were to leave home in the afternoon of Monday; and
Maria and Matilda went to school that morning as usual. But when the
noon hour came, Matilda called her sister into a corner of the emptied
schoolroom, and sat down with a face of business.

"What is the matter?" said Maria. "We must go home to dinner."

"I should like to speak to you here first."

"About what? Say it and be quick; for I am ever so hungry. Aunt Candy
cut my breakfast short this morning."

"I wanted to say to you that we had better take home our books."

"What for?" said Maria, with opening eyes.

"Because, Maria, mamma was talking to me last night about it. You know
there will be no one at home now, after to-day, but you and me."

"Aunt Erminia and Clarissa?"

"Nobody to do anything, I mean."

"Can't they do anything? I don't know what you are talking of, Matilda;
but I know I want my dinner."

"Who do you think will get dinner to-morrow?"

"Well--mother's sick of course; and Anne and Letty are going. I should
think Aunt Candy might."

"No, she won't."

"How do you know?"

"Because mother said so. She won't do anything."

"Then she'll have to get a girl to do things, I suppose."

"But Maria, that is just what mother wants she shouldn't do; because
she'd have to pay for it."

"Who would have to pay for it?"

"Mamma."

"Why would she?"

"She said so."

"I don't see why she would, I am sure. If Aunt Erminia hires a girl,
_she'll_ pay for her."

"But that will come out of what Aunt Erminia pays to mamma; and what
Aunt Erminia pays to mamma is what we have got to live upon."

"Who said so?"

"Mamma said so." Matilda answered with her lip trembling; for the
bringing facts all down to hard detail was difficult to bear.

"Well, I _do_ think," exclaimed Maria, "if I had a sister sick and not
able to help herself, I would n