The House of Rest Author:Bithia Mary Croker Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III A COUNCIL OF THREE During those three black years the Courtenays never lost sight of Ellen Berry, their childhood's champion and friend, who ha... more »d so often intervened between them and the wrath of their grandmother, making excuses and hiding shortcomings. They corresponded regularly and had occasional meetings. Ellen worked in a munition factory, and when, after the armistice, she and her ladies were discharged, they forgathered in London, took cheap rooms in West Kensington, and settled down to hold a council of ways and means. The war had told on all three; there were many grey streaks in Ellen's dark hair, but the most changed was Ann Courtenay. The happy smile had faded from her eyes; she looked grave for her years and as if only too conscious of her heavy responsibilities, of which not the least was a remarkably pretty young sister. " You know all our money matters, Ellen," she said, "even better than we do ourselves. There is that £80, and I have a little saved, and so has Pixie. I thought of going in for regular hospital training and starting as a probationer, but what would become of her? " " I would never again consent to your cutting yourself off from me—I could not bear it —we must be together," her sister protested. " This knocks on the head governessing or acting as companion." " We might get an engagement in the same shop. You'd do splendidly as a mannequin! How you would sail round and show off gowns, with your air of dignity; and I'd tack linings and run messages ! " " No, no," interposed Ellen, " that is foolish sort of talk! Miss Ann, have you ever cast a thought to your house down at Forde? " "Never! " was the emphatic reply. " Then the sooner you do the better. There you'll be under your own roof." "Yes, if there is one! ...« less