"I won't have a drink, but I'll take one of those cigarettes, if I may," said Kent, sticking it in his mouth and inhaling gratefully. "I'm sorry to dun you, but you told me I could have the money 'Wednesday or Thursday,' and I'm pressed for it. I wish you would let me have it now; I want to send it up to my pension before going on to the shop."
Beaufort put out his tongue and drank some more of the contents of the tumbler thirstily.
"That'll be all right," he said, yawning; "don't you bother about that!"
"But the point is, that I want it now," said Kent. "I dare say it would be 'all right,' but I'm in need of it this morning. My bill came up on Monday, and I put the woman off till yesterday—I can't put her off any more."
"What? Is this the first week you owe her? My boy, a week! I haven't paid my bill here for eleven weeks. Let her wait."
"You haven't a wife," said Kent. "I have. It's damned unpleasant for a girl, I can tell you!"
"How much does the old harpy want?" inquired the Editor, with resentment.
"A hundred and sixty, more or less, with extras. I have the interesting document with me, if you'd like to see it."
Billy gaped again.
"Oh, well," he said, "we'll engineer it. You—you tell your wife not to worry herself; and don't trouble any more. I'll see you through." He settled his head on the pillow, and appeared to be under the impression that the difficulty was disposed of.