I told him I
was Mrs. Rodman, and then he said a young man called Henry Mutimer
had got locked up for making a disturbance outside a music hall, and
he'd sent to my husband to bail him out. Well, just as we were
talking in comes Willis. Rare and astonished he was to see me with
all my things huddled on and a policeman in the house. We did so
laugh afterwards; he said he thought I'd been committing a robbery.
But he wouldn't bail 'Arry, and I couldn't blame him. And now he
says 'Arry 'll have to do as best he can. He won't get him another
place.'
'He's lost his place too?' asked the mother gloomily.
'He was dismissed yesterday. He says that's why he went drinking too
much. Out of ten days that he's been in the place he's missed two
and hasn't been punctual once. I think you might have seen he got
off at the proper time in the morning, mother.'
'What's the good o' blamin' me?' exclaimed the old woman fretfully.
'A deal o' use it is for me to talk. If I'm to be held 'countable he
doesn't live here no longer; I know that much.'
'Dick was a fool to pay his fine. I'd have let him go to prison for
seven days; it would have given him a lesson.'
Mrs. Mutimer sighed deeply, and lost herself in despondent thought.
Alice sipped her tea and went on with her voluble talk.
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