"Bless you! he can't hear us," exclaimed Jim; "and if he did, it 'ud do him good. It does you good to laugh, and it does you good to hear a laugh, too."
"Ah, but Mr. Wood is a good deal too bad for that."
"Poor fellow!" said their visitor, "if I can help him in any way please let me know."
"Look here, Mrs. Waring," put in Jim. "I wish you'd do us the honour of having a bit of supper with us. I'm of the same mind as your Mrs. Colston, when you're extra happy it seems like as if you ought to eat together. On the strength of my new job I've bought a tin of coffee and some new-laid eggs."
Mrs. Waring felt it would be very ungracious if she did not accept the invitation, though just then time was very precious.
"Don't you think I'm a lucky man, Mrs. Waring?" exclaimed Jim, as he stood with his watch in his hand, counting the minutes while the eggs were boiling, "and it's all come through you."
"No, through God," was her correction.
"Well, God used you, anyhow. And what a change there is in Mr. Black, too——"
"Who is that!" suddenly exclaimed Phebe, springing to her feet. Mrs. Coates had just gone upstairs, leaving two doors open behind her. It was the lodger's cough she had heard.
"It's only Mr. Wood coughing," explained Jim, and Phebe took her seat again feeling strangely tired.