“Nor me!”
“It’s like a dream.”
They said no more for a little while.
“I got to pinch myself to think it’s real,” said Miriam. “What they’ll do without me at ’ome I can’t imagine. When I tell them—”
For the life of him Mr. Polly could not tell whether he was fullest of tender anticipations or regretful panic.
“Mother’s no good at managing—not a bit. Annie don’t care for ’ouse work and Minnie’s got no ’ed for it. What they’ll do without me I can’t imagine.”
“They’ll have to do without you,” said Mr. Polly, sticking to his guns.
A clock in the town began striking.
“Lor’!” said Miriam, “we shall miss Annie—sitting ’ere and love-making!”
She rose and made as if to take Mr. Polly’s arm. But Mr. Polly felt that their condition must be nakedly exposed to the ridicule of the world by such a linking, and evaded her movement.