"The particular 'but' which stopped my medical studies, and drove me into the first situation where I could earn money was the death of my father, and the consequent cessation of the income which had been his allowance under his grandfather's will.

We had been poor before; after that we were destitute." Katherine nodded sympathetically.

Her life had been hard, and there was plenty of rough work in it, but she had never been within seeing distance of destitution, and she had plenty of pity for those whose lives had been fuller of care than her own.
"I tried keeping near home first," went on Jervis; "but it was of no use.

There was no room for me anywhere; the only thing I could get to do was a miserable clerkship at twelve shillings a week.
Just think of it! Twelve shillings a week, and there were four of us to live! I bore it for six months, and then I cleared out.

My next brother, who is four years younger, got work which brought in enough to buy his food, and I have managed to send home something to help to keep my mother and the youngest boy, who is still at school." "Perhaps the necessity to do your utmost has been very good for you," Katherine ventured demurely.
"I think it has," he answered with emphasis.