'
'Yes,' she mused with herself, 'she is our creature. We pay her and
she must attire herself to suit our ideas of propriety. She must
remember her station.'
'What is it?' Mutimer asked, noticing that she bad again smiled.
'Nothing.'
His pipe lit, his limbs reposing in the easy-chair, Mutimer became
expansive. He requested Adela's attention whilst he rendered a full
account of all the moneys he had laid out, and made a computation of
the cost of living on this basis.
'The start once made,' he said, 'you see it isn't a bit dearer than
the lodgings. And the fact is, I couldn't have done much in that
hole. Now here, I feel able to go to work. It isn't in reality
spending money on ourselves, though it may look like it. You see I
must have a place where people can call to see me; we'd no room
before.'
He mused.
'You'll write and tell your mother?'
'Yes.'
'Don't say anything about the money. You haven't done yet, I
suppose?'
'No.'
'Better not That's our own business. You can just say you're more
comfortable. Of course,' he added, 'there's no secret. I shall let
people understand in time that I am carrying out the wishes of a
Socialist friend. That's simple enough. But there's no need to talk
about it just yet. I must get fairly going first.'
His face gathered light as he proceeded.
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