"And the motive’s everything," interposed the widow.
"Mine is to make money--and I succeed in making heaps."
"Oh, but, miss, surely to get money isn’t a very high motive, if I may say so."
"But I did not tell you what I want money for. It is in order that I may be able to support and maintain one of the greatest of God’s artists, whilst he works at his heaven-sent tasks. He would have been starved to death by now, or would have had to abandon his work, if it had not been for this!" She waved her hand towards the pictures. "I hate the work. I loathe it," she went on, with a little stamp of her foot, "and never more so than now--for, to tell you the truth, I am feeling ill and overworked--yet I am obliged to go on, as my artist has only half finished his picture. _I must go on_."
"But not to kill yourself," interrupted Mrs. Austin, whose opinion of her lodger had gone through various stages since she entered the garret. At first she disapproved of Miss Sinclair’s work, then greatly admired the noble, self-sacrificing spirit of the worker, and now the latter’s ill looks appealed to her motherly heart.
"Oh, it does not matter about me," said Alice, with a little tired smile; "but I must not waste any more time in talking. A man will be here for these pictures in a couple of hours, and I haven’t quite finished them off. Why did you come? I mean, what did you come for?"
"Bless me! I’m forgetting. I came to ask you if you could help poor dear Miss Anderson, who is in trouble. Her wages have been reduced, and she has reason to think she will lose her employment."
"I should think she is about tired of it," said Alice.
"She will have no means of livelihood if she loses her work," continued the landlady. "She is very poor, and gets very anxious about the future. She looks so thin and pale. I made so bold, miss, as to think that perhaps you would allow her to assist you, or even that you would suggest to her that she could do so in time."
Alice smiled, and, taking the good woman’s hands in both hers, cried:
"You dear old soul! Here am I, ill through overwork, and earning lots of money, and you ask me to help a girl who is ill from want of work and want of money! Of course I must help her. That belongs to the fitness of things. You must go now. I will stay a little longer than usual to-day, and when Miss Anderson comes in ask her, please, to step up to my garret."