"Oh, come now! Wouldn't you chuck it if you could?"
"And acknowledge myself beaten," said Nora, with a flash of spirit. "You don't know," she went on after ironing busily a moment, "what I went through before I came here. I tried to get another position as lady's companion. I hung about the agents' offices. I answered advertisements. Two people offered to take me; one without any salary, the other at ten shillings a week and my lunch. I, if you please, was to find myself in board, lodging and clothes on that magnificent sum! That settled me. I wrote Eddie and said I was coming. When I'd paid my fare, I had eight pounds in the world—after ten years with Miss Wickham. When he met me at the station at Dyer——"
"Depot; you forget."
"My whole fortune consisted of seven dollars and thirty-five cents; I think it was thirty-five."
"What about that wood you're splitting, Reg?" said a voice from the doorway.
Eddie came in fumbling nervously in his pockets. He detested scenes and had some reason to think that he was having more than his share of them in the last few days.
"Has anyone seen my tobacco! Oh, here it is," he said, taking his pouch from his pocket. "Come, Reg, you'd better be getting on with it."
"Oh, Lord, is there no rest for the wicked?" exclaimed Hornby as he lounged lazily to the door.
"Don't hurry yourself, will you?"
"Brilliant sarcasm is just flying about this house to-day," was his parting shot as he banged the door behind him.