CHAPTER VII. 

As soon as dinner was over, Elizabeth went up to her own room, and was followed in a few moments by Anne, who found her putting on her bonnet and cloak. 'Can you be going out in such weather as this?' exclaimed she. 

'Yes,' said Elizabeth; 'I must 

"Let content with my fortunes fit, Though the rain it raineth every day."' 

'But what are the fortunes which oblige you to go out?' said Anne. 

'The fortunes of an old woman to whom Kate or I read every Friday,' said Elizabeth, 'and the fortunes of various young school-children, who must be prepared for Papa or Mr. Walker to catechize in Church on Sunday.' 

'Why do not you send Kate or Helen, instead of murdering yourself in the wet?' said Anne. 

'Miss Kitty is three inches deep in the mysteries of a spencer, (I do not mean Edmund,)' said Elizabeth, 'and it will not be out of her head these three days, at least not till she has made Mamma's old black satin gown into one after Harriet's pattern; I heard her asking for it as I came up-stairs.' 

'And would not Helen go?' said Anne; 'she does not catch cold as easily as you do.' 

'Helen has contrived, somehow or other,' said Elizabeth, 'to know no more about the school-children than if they were so many Esquimaux; besides, anyone with any experience of Helen's ways, had rather walk ninety miles in the rain, than be at the pains of routing her out of the corner of the sofa to do anything useful.' 
who did kate and anne read to
The fortunes of an old woman to whom Kate or I read every Friday