“He speaks for us all, I know, sir.  And now if you’ll tell us our part we’ll take hold.  I think I know what it means.  Trips to New Mexico, from New York, are expensive.”

“They are very expensive,” Mr. Birch replied, slowly.  “I must go with her.  We must travel in the least fatiguing fashion, which means state-rooms on trains and many extras by the way.  She has kept up bravely, but this unusual exhaustion after one day in town shows me how careful I must be of her on the long journey.  Then, once away, no expense must be spared to make the absence tell for all there is in it.  And most of all to be considered, while I am away there will be—­no income.”

They looked at each other now, Celia at Lansing, and Lansing at Jeff, and Jeff at both of them.  Charlotte sat up suddenly, her cheeks and eyes burning, and stared hard at each in turn.

The income would stop.  And what would that mean?  The family had within three years suffered heavy financial losses from causes outside of their control, and the father’s income, that of attorney-at-law in a large suburban town, had since become the only source of support.  So far it had sufficed, although Charlotte and Celia had been sent away to school, and both Celia and Lansing were now in college.

It was the remembrance of these heavy demands upon the family purse which now caused the young people to look at one another with startled questioning.  Lansing was about to begin his senior year at a great university; Celia had finished her first year at a famous women’s college.  Within a fortnight both were expecting to begin work.

Charlotte did not care about a college course, but she had planned for two years to go to a school of design, for she was a promising young worker in things decorative.  As for Jefferson, sixteen years old, captain of the high-school football team, six feet tall, and able to give his brother Lansing a hard battle for physical supremacy, his dearest dream was a great military school.  Even Justin—­but Justin was only twelve—­his dreams could wait.  His was the only face in the group which remained placid during the moments succeeding Mr. Birch’s mention of the astonishing fact about the income.

The father’s observant eyes noted all that his children’s looks could tell him of surprise, disappointment and bewilderment; and of the succeeding effort they made to rally their forces and show no sign of dismay.

Lansing made the first effort.  “I can drop back a year,” he said, thoughtfully.  “Or I—­no—­merely working my way through this year wouldn’t do.  It wouldn’t help out at home.”

“Why, Lanse!” began Celia, and stopped.

He glanced meaningly at her, and the colour flashed back into her cheeks.  In the next instant she had followed his lead.

“If Lanse can stay out of college, I can, too,” she said, with decision.

“If I could get some fairly good position,” Lanse proposed, “I ought to be able to earn enough to—­well, we’re rather a large family, and our appetites——­”