"What does he get?," she interrupted.

This absorption in pounds, shillings and pence comes to them entirely from their poor mother...

"A thousand a year—to start on," I told her.

"And cheap at the price," said Phyllida.

I had to beg her to enlighten me.

"Well," she said, "I don't call a thousand a year excessive to secure Will—in Morecambe..."

Mrs. Surdan was naturally pleased. For them, at least, it is a great match.

"I little thought that it would end like this, when you asked me to take charge of Hilda for three months," I said.

And that reminded me that what they called "Hilda's pocket-money" was lying almost untouched at the bank in Arthur's name. There had been no ball, hardly anything... But I could not get Mrs. Surdan to say what should be done with it...

"I'm sure you didn't," she answered.