Selina's Starling 191 



While Elimelech was thus growing up as a 

 member of the household, Selina was beginning 

 to wonder how she was to keep that household 

 together. How was she to keep herself and 

 pay her rent without the little incomings that 

 had found their way into her husband's pocket 

 when he took a fancy now and then to ask his 

 customers to pay their debts? She parted 

 with her fowls and ducks, but most of these 

 were ancient skinny creatures, whose lives had 

 been prolonged beyond the usual limit by 

 careless kindness, and they brought her but 

 little profit. It was some time before it dawned 

 on her that she must part with Fan too, but 

 when at last it did, she felt a terrible pang. 

 It would be like parting with a sister. And 

 who indeed would buy poor old Fan, and if a 

 purchaser were found, what would he give for 

 such an ancient little animal ? 



She banished the notion from her mind : 

 she and Fan must stick together for what 

 years of lonely life still remained to them. 



One Tuesday morning, she was grazing the 

 pony on the strip of turf that ran through the 



