"'Sir!'" he echoed with a fine scorn. "'Ow is a man to keep 'is self-respect?"
Josephine tripped down the hall. She carried Marjory's small dog, who had a scarlet coat buttoned about his small tummy. "Dee-ar Eegeens!" she purred, then fluttered her eyelashes.
"The post 'as its hadvantages," said Dee-ar Eegeens, and followed in Josephine's direction.
Inside the library Cecilia stood by a window with Jeremiah. He was untying the string of a small box and his fingers shook.
"I got it fer you, Celie," he said, "because I thought you was peaked like." He opened the box reverently.
"Oh!" said Cecilia.
"Twenty-five thousand," said Jeremiah. "Look at her!" Jeremiah lifted his present from the box. The pendant of his present looked like a lamp shade from Tiffany's.
"Oh!" said Cecilia again.
"Look at that there diamond and emerald and ruby all mashed together like!" said Jeremiah proudly. "Look at her! Don't she sparkle?"
"It does," said Cecilia; "it certainly does!"