She considered the matter gravely. “I am not quite sure. I should not like to inconvenience you. Shall we say four and six?”
“No, I will be generous. I’ll do this. If you will take the risk of being accused of burglary by Vespasian, I happen to know there is some money in the right hand drawer of the table over there. I don’t know how much. Fivepence, perhaps, but you shall have whatever it is.”
Renata walked with great dignity across the room and opened the drawer. A little smile hovered about her lips. She picked up a handful of gold and silver and sat down by him to count it.
“It looks an awful lot,” he remarked anxiously. “Won’t you let me off? Vespasian is always complaining of my extravagance.” 69
“Sh––Sh––” she held up one finger, “ten, eleven, twelve, and two and six, that’s thirteen,—no, fourteen and sixpence.”
“Leave me the sixpence,” he urged plaintively, but she continued counting.
“Seven pounds, four shillings and sixpence. Count it yourself, Aymer.”
Aymer counted and gravely pronounced her arithmetic to be correct.
“Thank you, you are a dear.” She piled the coins up neatly in little piles on the table by her side. He told her she had better put it in her pocket.
“I haven’t one,” she sighed.