"
"Perhaps I'm not--that's just what I'm afraid of; but father is, and I can
prove it to you. I've brought a letter from father--'ere it is; now, is
that good enough for yer?"
"Come, no impertinence, or I'll order you out of the hospital in double
quick time," said the matron.
"I didn't intend no impertinence," said Jenny humbly, "only I didn't like
to be told I was telling lies when I was speaking the truth."
"Well, I see that your father is going to Australia," the matron replied,
returning the letter to Jenny; "you want your sister to give you her money
to take you there too."
"What I wants is for you to tell my sister that you can get her a
situation as wet-nurse; then perhaps she'll give me the money."
"If your sister wants to go out as wet-nurse, I daresay I could get her a
pound a week."
"But," said Esther, "I should have to put baby out at nurse."
"You'll have to do that in any case," Jenny interposed; "you can't live
for nine months on your savings and have all the nourishing food that
you'll want to keep your milk going,"
"If I was yer sister I'd see yer further before I'd give yer my money. You
must 'ave a cheek to come a-asking for it, to go off to Australia where a
girl 'as chances, and yer sister with a child at the breast left behind.
Well I never!"
Jenny and the matron turned suddenly and looked at the woman in the
opposite bed who had so unexpectedly expressed her views.
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