turned off the
electric light and joined him. An hour later, while Gaga still lay
staring into the darkness, Sally was fast asleep. She had no dreams. For
the present she was occupied with facts alone; and she did not suspect
that she was unhappy, because she had been absorbing too many details to
be able to reflect upon the sinking of her heart and its meaning.

v

The next evening Sally went to see her mother. Her first object was to
get Mrs. Minto away from the room in which they had lived; because it
was essential that if Toby came back, as she believed he could not do
for some days, he should be unable to trace Sally or her mother. It was
for fear of Toby that the removal was to be made. Once get Mrs. Minto
away, to some other part of North London, and Toby might seek news of
Sally in vain. Only if he came and waited outside Madam's would he be
able to find her; and in that case she could still baulk him, as she was
going to stay late every evening for the future in order to work with
Gaga. But first of all, Sally must arrange to get her mother out of the
old house. She would not want to go. She must go. She would pretend
that she could keep herself. She would show the stubborn pride of many
old people of the working class, who will work until they kill
themselves rather than accept charitable doles. Very well, Sally knew
that Mrs. Minto could not keep herself; and she knew also that these
same old people have no similar delicacy in taking from their children's
earnings. She was going to explain that she was still working, and that
what Mrs. Minto would receive came from Sally herself, and not from
Sally's husband. And she would herself find a room for her mother in
Stoke Newington, a suburb which is farther from Holloway than many more
distant places for the reason that no dweller in Holloway has any
curiosity about Stoke Newington or any impulse to go there as an
adventure.

Sally found Mrs. Minto in a familiar attitude, stooping over a very
small fire; but as she ran up the stairs very softly, with a nervous
dread of Toby, she had no conception of the welcome which awaited her.
She opened the door and went into the dingy room, and stood smiling; and
to her great surprise she saw her mother rise almost wildly and come
towards her. Two thin arms pressed and fondled her, and a thin old cheek
was pressed hard against her own. To herself Mrs. Minto was ejaculating
in a shivering way: "My baby, my baby!" Only th