Minkie brought the paper.
“That is the paragraph I told you of,” said she, pointing very daintily to something on one of the pages. I have seen her point that way to a dead rat when she wished Jim or Mole to throw it away.
“Much obliged. And here are the five sovereigns I promised you as a Christmas box.”
“Mr. Schwartz—” broke in Mam, but he turned to her with his best manner.
“I beg of you to allow me to do this, Mrs. Grosvenor. It is really a harmless joke between Millicent and myself,” he said.
“But five pounds—” protested Mam.
“That was in the bond. Pray let me explain. By chance, she mentioned some very useful information which this newspaper contained; I might not have heard of it otherwise. So I am adding a little to her Christmas present—that is all.”
“It seems a great deal of money,” sighed Mam, who often wanted a fiver and had to do without it, “but you two appear to have the matter cut and dried, so I suppose it is all right. What are you going to do with your fabulous wealth, Millicent?”
“Make a corner in toffee. Make every kid in Dale End pay a penny for a ha’penny-worth. That is the proper thing, isn’t it, Mr. Schwartz?”
“I don’t think I can teach you much,” he replied with his usual grin.