“Has milk risen in price?” he asked.
“No,” said Mr. Middleton, embarrassed.
“Then why am I to be stinted? Don’t I pay enough board to entitle me to a decent supply?”
This was a difficult question to answer. Whatever the future had in store for him, Tom was certainly at this moment paying twenty dollars a week for his board.
“You make a great fuss about your victuals,” said Corinthia, not very elegantly.
“I don’t care about being starved in order that you may make a little more money,” retorted Tom.
“Do you hear that, Mr. Middleton?” ejaculated the lady angrily.
“Young man,” said Mr. Middleton solemnly, “you should not speak lightly of starving. The time may come when you will want for food.”
“The time has come already, it seems to me,” said Tom with spirit. “I should like some meat.”
“There is no meat on the table.”