ladies like you'd 'ardly dream of now, dressed up to the
nines, and say, 'Well, Mr. Smallways, what you got 'smorning?' and
I'd say, 'Well, I got some very nice C'nadian apples, 'or p'raps I got
custed marrers. See? And they'd buy 'em. Right off they'd say, 'Send me
some up.' Lord! what a life that was. The business of it, the bussel,
the smart things you saw, moty cars going by, kerridges, people,
organ-grinders, German bands. Always something going past--always. If it
wasn't for those empty 'ouses, I'd think it all a dream."

"But what killed all the people, uncle?" asked Teddy.

"It was a smash-up," said old Tom. "Everything was going right until
they started that War. Everything was going like clock-work. Everybody
was busy and everybody was 'appy and everybody got a good square meal
every day."

He met incredulous eyes. "Everybody," he said firmly. "If you couldn't
get it anywhere else, you could get it in the workhuss, a nice 'ot bowl
of soup called skilly, and bread better'n any one knows 'ow to make now,
reg'lar WHITE bread, gov'ment bread."

Teddy marvelled, but said nothing. It made him feel deep longings that
he found it wisest to fight down.

For a time the old man resigned himself to the pleasures of gustatory
reminiscence. His lips moved. "Pickled Sammin!" he whispered, "an'
vinegar.... Dutch cheese, BEER! A pipe of terbakker."

"But 'OW did the people get killed?" asked Teddy presently.

"There was the War. The War was the beginning of it. The War banged and
flummocked about, but it didn't really KILL many people. But it upset
things. They came and set fire to London and burnt and sank all the
ships there used to be in the Thames--we could see the smoke and steam
for weeks--and they threw a bomb into the Crystal Palace and made a
bust-up, and broke down the rail lines and things like that. But as for
killin' people, it was just accidental if they did. They killed each
other more. There was a great fight all hereabout one day, Teddy--up in
the air. Great things bigger than fifty 'ouses, bigger than the Crystal
Palace--bigger, bigger than anything, flying about up in the air and
whacking at each other and dead men fallin' off 'em. T'riffic! But,
it wasn't so much the people they killed as the business they stopped.
There wasn't any business doin', Teddy, there wasn't any money about,
and nothin' to buy if you 'ad it."

"But 'ow did the people get KILLED?" said the little boy in the pause.

"I'm te