And it
all meant money. There were even places in Douglas where you couldn't
occupy a common chair for half a minute without paying for it. Each
night Annie went to bed exhausted with joy. On the second night she
counted the money in her bag, and said to William Henry:
"How much money do you think we've spent already? Just--"
"Don't tell me, lass!" he interrupted her curtly. "When I want to know,
I'll ask ye."
And on the fifth evening of this heaven he asked her:
"What'n ye got left?"
She informed him that she had five pounds and twopence left, of which
the boarding-house and tips would absorb four pounds.
"H'm!" he replied. "It's going to be a bit close."
On the seventh day they set sail. The dream was not quite over, but it
was nearly over. On the ship, when the porter had been discharged, she
had two and twopence, and William Henry had the return tickets. Still,
this poverty did not prevent William Henry from sitting down and
ordering a fine lunch for two (the sea being again smooth). Having
ordered it, he calmly told his wife that he had a sovereign in his
waistcoat pocket. A sovereign was endless riches.
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