Aunt Nan came, and sat down beside her, and talked very coldly about expenses and being dependent upon one's relatives, and let her understand thoroughly that she could not sit around and do nothing; but Elizabeth answered by telling her how the manager had been treating her.

The aunt then gave her a dose of worldly wisdom, which made the girl shrink into herself.

It needed only Lizzie's loud-voiced exhortations to add to her misery and make her feel ready to do anything.
Supper was a most unpleasant meal.

At last the grandmother spoke up.
"Well, Bessie," she said firmly, "we've decided, all of us, that, if you are going to be stubborn about this, something will have to be done; and I think the best thing is for you to go to Mrs.Bailey and see what she'll do for you.

It's her business, anyway." Elizabeth's cheeks were very red.