"She's all right, mother," Ernie replied. "She's plenty of friends."
"Mrs. Trupp," jealously. "Well, why don't ye say so? What about the children?"
"They'll just stay with their mother," answered Ernie.
"I could have em here if she was to want to go out to work," Anne said grudgingly; and must add, instigated by the devil who dogged her all her life—"Your children, of course."
Ernie answered quite simply:
"No, thank-you, mother," and continued with unconscious dignity—"They're all my children."
A gleam of cruelty shone in his mother's eyes.
"She's behind with her rent. You know that? And Alf's short. He says he's dropped thousands over his Syndicate. Ruined in his country's cause, Alf says."
"If he's dropped thousands a few shillings more or less won't help him," said Ernie curtly.
"And yet he'll want em," Anne pursued maliciously. "He was sayin so only last night. Every penny, he said."