Maggie saw that her mother was depressed, and she thought that Edward's extravagance must be the occasion.

Oftentimes she wondered how far she might speak on the subject; and once or twice she drew near it in conversation; but her mother winced away, and Maggie could not as yet see any decided good to be gained from encountering such pain.

To herself it would have been a relief to have known the truth--the worst, as far as her mother knew it; but she was not in the habit of thinking of herself.

She only tried, by long tender attention, to cheer and comfort her mother; and she and Nancy strove in every way to reduce the household expenditure, for there was little ready money to meet it.

Maggie wrote regularly to Edward; but since the note inquiring about the agency, she had never heard from him.