“Sam, you’d better give me that two pound you’ve got, and I’ll put it with the rest.”
Sam didn’t answer, only tapped his pipe on the hob.
Mrs Jenkles glanced at him, and then said —
“Did you hear what I said, Sam?”
“Yes.”
“Then why don’t you give it me? Draw that oven back an inch.”
“Aint got it – only half a sov,” said Sam, leaving the potatoes to burn.
Mrs Jenkles dropped her work upon her lap, and her face grew very red.
“Didn’t you say, Sam, that if I’d trust you, you wouldn’t do so any more?”
“Yes.”
“And you’ve broke your word, Sam.”
“I aint, ’pon my soul, I aint, Sally,” cried Sam, earnestly. “I’ve had my pint for dinner, and never touched a drop more till I had my pint at home.”
“Then where’s that money?”
“Spent it,” said Sam, laconically.
“Yes, at the nasty public-houses, Sam. An’ it’s too bad, and when I’d trusted you!”
“Wrong!” said Sam.
“Then where is it?”
“Fooled it away.”
“Yes, of course. But I didn’t expect it, Sam; I didn’t, indeed.”
“All your fault,” said Sam.
“Yes, for trusting you,” said Mrs Jenkles, bitterly. “Nice life we lead: you with the worst horse and the worst cab on the rank, and me with the worst husband.”
“Is he, Sally?” said Sam, with a twinkle of the eye.
“Yes,” said Mrs Jenkles, angrily; “and that makes it all the worse, when he might be one of the best. Oh, Sam,” she said, pitifully, “do I ever neglect you or your home?”
“Not you,” he said, throwing down his pipe, and looking round at the shining tins, bright fireplace, and general aspect of simple comfort and cleanliness. “You’re the best old wife in the world.”
And he got up and stood behind her chair with his arms round her neck.
“Don’t touch me, Sam. I’m very, very much hurt.”
“Well, it was all your fault, little woman,” he said, holding the comely face, so that his wife could not look round at him.
“And how, pray?” said she.
“Didn’t you send me up to see that poor woman as Ratty knocked down?”
“Yes; but did you go?”
“To be sure I did – you told me to go.”
“Then why didn’t you tell me you had been?”
“Didn’t like to,” said Sam.
“Such stuff!” cried Mrs Jenkles. “But what’s that got to do with it?”
Sam remained silent.
“What’s that got to do with it, Sam?”
Silence still.
“Now, Sam, you’ve got something on your mind, so you’d better tell me. Have you been drinking?”
“No, I haven’t,” said Sam, “and I don’t mean to again.”
“Then I’m very sorry for what I said.”
“I know that,” said Sam.
“But what does it all mean?”
“Well, you see,” said Sam, “I’ve been a fool.”
And after a little more hesitation, he told all about his visit.
Mrs Jenkles sat looking at the fire, rubbing her nose with her thimble, both she and Sam heedless that the potatoes were burning.
“You’ve been took in, Sam, I’m afraid,” she said at last.
“Think so?” he said.
“Well, I hope not; but you’ve either been took in, or done a very, very kind thing.”
“Well, we shall see,” he said.
“Yes, we shall see.”
“You aint huffy with me?”
“I don’t know yet,” said Mrs Jenkles; “but I shall go up and see them.”
“Ah, do,” said Sam.
“Yes, I mean to see to the bottom of it,” said Mrs Jenkles. “I haven’t patience with such ways.”
“They can’t help being poor.”
“I don’t mean them; I mean those people they’re with. I couldn’t do it.”
“Not you,” said Sam. “But I say, don’t Mr Lacy go next week?”
“Yes.”
“And the rooms will be empty?”
“Yes,” said Mrs Jenkles. “I have put the bill up in the window; he said he didn’t mind.”
Sam Jenkles went and sat down in his chair with an air of relief and looked at his wife.
Mrs Jenkles looked at Sam, as if the same idea was in both hearts. Then she jumped up suddenly.
“Oh, Sam, the potatoes are spoiling!”
They were, but they were not spoilt; and Sam Jenkles made a very hearty meal, washing it down with the pint of beer which he termed his allowance.
“Ah!” he said, speaking like a man with a load off his mind, “this here’s a luxury as the swells never gets – a regular good, hot, mealy tater, fresh from the fire. It’s a wonderful arrangement of nature that about taters.”
“Why?” said Mrs Jenkles, as she emptied the brown coat of another potato on her husband’s plate. “What do you mean?”
“Why, the way in which roast potatoes and beer goes together. Six mouthfuls of tater, and then a drink of beer to get rid of the dryness.”
“I wish you wouldn’t be so fond of talking about beer, Sam,” said Mrs Jenkles.
“All right, my dear,” said Sam; and he finished his supper, retook his place by the fireside, filled his pipe, glanced at the Dutch clock swinging its pendulum to and fro; and then, as he lit the tobacco – “Ah! this is cheery. Glad I aint on the night shift.”
Mrs Jenkles was very quiet as she bustled about and cleared the table, before once more taking her place on the other side of the fire.
“Ratty went first-rate to-day,” said Sam, after a few puffs.
But Mrs Jenkles did not take any notice; she only made her needle click, and Sam kept glancing at her as he went on smoking. At last she spoke.
“I shall go up and see those people, Sam, for I’m afraid you’ve been taken in. Was she a married woman.”
“Yes,” said Sam; “I saw her ring. But I say, you know, ’taint my fault, Sally,” he said, plaintively. “I was born a soft un.”
“Then it’s time you grew hard, Sam,” said Mrs Jenkles, bending over her work. “Thirty shillings takes a deal of saving with people like us.”
“Yes,” said Sam, “it do, ’specially when you has so many bad days to make up.”
“You ought not to have to pay more than twelve shillings a day for that cab, Sam.”
“I told the gov’nor so, and he said as it oughter be eighteen, and plenty would be glad to get it at that.”
Mrs Jenkles