at once in
spite of all obstacles. She would give Lydia a month's notice this very
day, and the landlord notice that she was going to leave the house, and
her sister Julia that she was about to send the four children to take up
their abode with her at once--she would feel so much freer when they were
settled, and she was alone.

"But perhaps Aunt Julia will not have us," said Penelope, joyfully
clutching at the hope. They none of them loved their Aunt Julia.
Not to be going to Canada was bad enough, but to have to go and live with
Aunt Julia, for no one knew how long, was too dreadful to contemplate.

"Oh, mother, _don't_ send us to her, _do_ take us with you, mother dear,"
pleaded Angela tearfully. "Doesn't father say we are to come? I am sure
he wants us too."

"Don't bother me now, child," said Mrs. Carroll, not crossly, but with a
distracted air, pushing aside Angela's clinging, eager arms.
"I've got more than enough to think of as it is. Of course you can't go
now."

"Why, mother? Can't we afford it?" asked straightforward Penelope.

"Oh, do be quiet. Don't bother any more," cried Esther bitterly.
"Don't you see that mother doesn't want us, and Aunt Julia won't want us--
nobody wants us." And in a tumult of pain and anger she flung herself out
of the room to hide the tears that made her eyes smart and tingle.

"I really think your Aunt Julia would refuse to have Esther if she knew
how bad her temper has become," said Mrs. Carroll with a sigh.
"She seems quite to have forgotten the respect due to her mother, and to
think I may be spoken to in any way she chooses. I am sure no other
mother would endure such behaviour from their children as I have to."

"Esther didn't mean to be rude, mother," pleaded Penelope. "I expect she
is upset 'cause daddy didn't send for us too. He _said_ he would, you
know, and we always thought we should go too when you went. It is an
_awful_ disappointment," sadly.

"Mother," pleaded Angela wistfully, "it isn't true what Esther said, is
it? You _do_ want us, don't you?"

"I certainly do not want children with me who don't know how to behave,"
said Mrs. Carroll in a quick, reproving tone, never dreaming of the love
and longing in the child's heart. A few words of explanation, of love,
and sorrow for the parting, of hope of a speedy reuniting would have
relieved all their young hearts of a load, would have banished that
chilling feeling of being unloved, unwanted, wou