Clinton. 'They
won't wash. Come up to bed.'

'I tell you I will not,' replied Mr Clinton, decisively. 'Go, woman, and
leave me!'

'Well, if I do, I sha'n't leave the light; so there!' she said
spitefully, and, taking the lamp, left Mr Clinton in darkness.

Mrs Clinton was not henceforth on the very best of terms with her
husband, but he always treated her with his accustomed gentleness,
though he insisted on spending his nights on the dining-room sofa.

But perhaps the most objectionable to Mrs Clinton of all her good man's
eccentricities, was that he no longer gave her his week's money every
Saturday afternoon as he had been accustomed to do; the coldness between
them made her unwilling to say anything about it, but the approach of
quarter day forced her to pocket her dignity and ask for the money.

'Oh, James!'--she no longer called him Jimmy--'will you give me the
money for the rent?'

'Money?' he answered with the usual smile on his lips. 'I 'ave no
money.'

'What d'you mean? You've not given me a farthing for ten weeks.'

'I 'ave given it to those who want it more than I.'

'You don't mean to tell me that you've given your salary away?'

'Yes, dear.'

Mrs Clinton groaned.

'Oh, you're dotty!... I can understand giving a threepenny bit, or even
sixpence, at the offertory on Sunday at church, and of course one 'as to
give Christmas-boxes to the tradesmen; but to give your whole salary
away! 'Aven't you got anything left?'

'No!'

'You--you aggravating fool! And I'll be bound you gave it to lazy
loafers and tramps and Lord knows what!'

Mr Clinton did not answer; his wife walked rapidly backwards and
forwards, wringing her hands.

'Well, look here, James,' she said at last. 'It's no use crying over
spilt milk; but from this day you just give me your salary the moment
you receive it. D'you hear? I tell you I will not 'ave any more of your
nonsense.'

'I shall get no more salaries,' he quietly remarked.

Mrs Clinton looked at him; he was quite calm, and smilingly returned
her glance.

'What do you mean by that?' she asked.

'I am no longer at the office.'

'James! You 'aven't been sacked?' she screamed.

'Oh, they said I did not any longer properly attend to my work. They
said I was careless, and that I made mistakes; they complained that I
was unpunctual, that I went late and came away early; and one day,
because I 'adn't been there the day before, they told me to leave. I was
watching at