“I suppose it’s all right,” she allowed. “If you want to see the bedrooms, you’ll ’ave to climb the stairs, for there’s no other way.”
She led the procession to the floor above, and revealed two reasonably well-kept bedrooms, with blue linoleum on the floors and scarlet Paisley eiderdowns on the beds.
“I think this should suit us very well. Er—what about terms, now?”
Emma straightened a little doormat with the dilapidated toe of her shoe.
“ ’Ardly know what to say about terms. You see, she’s funny about ’em. Tries to get all she can—but she always takes less.”
“Perhaps I could speak to her?”
“No, no, you couldn’t, not very well. Y’see, she’s out—Saturday!—You know what I mean. You must arrange with me or not at all.”
“Certainly, as you please.”
“What about twenty-five shillings, then?”
Eliphalet hesitated, on principle.