“But I may do all I can to save the money, and this is always my reward. Yes, Mr. Caudle; I shall save a great deal.
“How much?
“I sha’n’t tell you: I know your meanness - you’d want to stop it out of the house allowance. No: it’s nothing to you where I got the money from to buy so many things. The money was my own. Well, and if it was yours first, that’s nothing to do with it. No; I haven’t saved it out of the puddings. But it’s always the woman who saves who’s despised. It’s only your fine-lady wives who’re properly thought of. If I was to ruin you, Caudle, then you’d think something of me.
“I sha’n’t go to sleep. It’s very well for you, who’re no sooner in bed than you’re fast as a church; but I can’t sleep in that way. It’s my mind keeps me awake. And after all, I do feel so happy to-night, it’s very hard I can’t enjoy my thoughts.
“No: I can’t think in silence!
“There’s much enjoyment in that, to be sure! I’ve no doubt now you could listen to Miss Prettyman - oh, I don’t care, I will speak. It was a little more than odd, I think, that she should be on the jetty when the boat came in. Ha! she’d been looking for you all the morning with a telescope, I’ve no doubt - she’s bold enough for anything. And then how she sneered and giggled when she saw me, - and said ‘how fat I’d got:’ like her impudence, I think. What?
“Well she might?
“But I know what she wanted; yes - she’d have liked to have had me searched. She laughed on purpose.
“I only wish I’d taken two of the dear girls with me. What things I could have stitched about ’em! No - I’m not ashamed of myself to make my innocent children smugglers: the more innocent they looked, the better; but there you are with what you call your principles again; as if it wasn’t given to everybody by nature to smuggle. I’m sure of it - it’s born with us. And nicely I’ve cheated ’em this day. Lace, and velvet, and silk stockings, and other things, - to say nothing of the tumblers and decanters. No: I didn’t look as if I wanted a direction, for fear somebody should break me. That’s another of what you call your jokes; but you should keep ’em for those who like ’em. I don’t.
“What have I made, after all?