Often and often, in those first few months, he knew what it was to have to think more than twice before spending a sixpence for food; he grew, too, to dread the coming of the wheezy old dame with a certain red-covered little book which contained the account for his breakfasts and for her own personal attendance upon him; invented excuses, now and then, to go out, so as to miss seeing her. But in some fashion he managed to pay that; managed also to put aside a little towards that big item--rent. Though that was a nightmare, indeed--a thing that meant the counting of days with a palpitating heart. He found his way, quite naturally, to the British Museum and its reading-room; discovered also near it a tiny tea shop, where, provided you bought butter-and only one pat at that--you might eat as much bread as ever you liked. Oh--a blessed institution, and one to be encouraged! So, struggling along, with an occasional flutter of the heart--(only very occasional this) at the sight of his name on a list of contents of some small paper; often hungry, and much perplexed at times over the question of clothes; with a wistful eye to the great men at the top, who had begun long ago perhaps in some such fashion as this; Jimmy trod the ways of freedom with a fair amount of contentment. CHAPTER III THE COMPLETE LETTER-WRITER "I've been making up my mind to it for a long time; now I shall do it." Patience sat upright in her chair, and stared, not at the girl, but at the window of the room; she shook her head resolutely. "I shall do it in my own way--and it isn't as if it'll cost much. It'll only want two sheets--or an extra one, in case of a blot or anything like that, and I'll have 'em black-edged." Moira looked at her for a moment in silence. "Why black-edged, Patience?" she asked at last. "More respectable, if it isn't too deep. There's a something about a black edge that takes away any flippancy; with anybody elderly like me it's always more decent. If you wouldn't mind, my dear, getting three or four sheets--and envelopes to match--I could set about it."