"Kate," said George, autocratically, "take baby."
"Yes, sir," said Kate, with respectful obedience. The girl had no notion
that she was not real to her master, or that her master was saying to
himself: "I ought not to be ordering human beings about like this. I
can't pay their wages. I ought to be starving in a garret."
When George and Mary were alone, George said: "Look here! Does he mean
it?"
"You may depend he means it. It's so like him. Me asking for that L200
must have upset him. And then seeing that about Heidsieck in the
paper--he'd make up his mind all of a sudden--I know him so well."
"H'm!" snorted George. "I shall make my mind up all of a sudden, too!"
"What shall you do?"
"There's one thing I shan't do," said George.
"And that is, stop here. Do you realize, my girl, that we shall be
absolutely up a gum-tree?"
"I should have thought you would be able--"
"Absolute gum-tree!" George interrupted her. "Simply can't keep the shop
open! To-morrow, my child, we go down to Bursley."
"Who?"
"You, me, and the infant."
"And what about the servants?"
"Send 'em home."
"But we can't descend on uncle like that without notice, and him full of
his election! Besides, he's cross.
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