When Mrs. Rivers left, Esther consulted with Mrs. Jones. The difficulty was now where she should put the child out at nurse. It was now just after two o'clock. The baby was fast asleep, and would want nothing for three or four hours. It would be well for Esther to put on her hat and jacket and go off at once. Mrs. Jones gave her the address of a respectable woman who used to take charge of children. But this woman was nursing twins, and could not possibly undertake the charge of another baby. And Esther visited many streets, always failing for one reason or another. At last she found herself in Wandsworth, in a battered tumble-down little street, no thoroughfare, only four houses and a coal-shed. Broken wooden palings stood in front of the small area into which descent was made by means of a few wooden steps. The wall opposite seemed to be the back of some stables, and in the area of No. 3 three little mites were playing. The baby was tied in a chair, and a short fat woman came out of the kitchen at Esther's call, her dirty apron sloping over her high stomach, and her pale brown hair twisted into a knot at the top of her head. "Well, what is it?" "I came about putting a child out to nurse. You are Mrs. Spires, ain't yer?" "Yes, that's my name. May I ask who sent you?" Esther told her, and then Mrs. Spires asked her to step down into the kitchen. "Them 'ere children you saw in the area I looks after while their mothers are out washing or charing. They takes them 'ome in the evening. I only charges them four-pence a-day, and it is a loss at that, for they does take a lot of minding. What age is yours?" "Mine is only a month old. I've a chance to go out as wet-nurse if I can find a place to put him out at nurse. Will you look after my baby?" "How much do you think of paying for him?" "Five shillings a week." "And you a-going out as wet-nurse at a pound a week; you can afford more than that." "I'm only getting fifteen shillings a week." "Well, you can afford to pay six. I tell you the responsibility I of looking after a hinfant is that awful nowadays that I don't care to undertake it for less." Esther hesitated; she did not like this woman. "I suppose," said the woman, altering her tone to one of mild interrogation, "you would like your baby to have the best of everything, and not the drainings of any bottle that's handy?" "I should like my child to be well looked after, and I must see the child every three weeks." "Do you expect me to bring up the child to wherever the lady lives, and pay my 'bus fare, all out of five shillings a week? It can't be done!" Esther did not answer. "You ain't married, of course?" Mrs. Spires said suddenly. "No, I ain't; what about that?" "Oh, nothing; there is so many of you, that's all. You can't lay yer 'and on the father and get a bit out of 'im?" The conversation paused. Esther felt strangely undecided. She looked round suspiciously, and noticing the look the woman said--