"Say I made it four and six?"

Mavis made no reply, at which Mrs Bale sat down and began to weep.

"What about the trouble and expense of coming all the way here?" asked
Mrs Bale.

"I never asked you to come."

"Well, I shan't leave this room till you give me six-pence for
refreshment to get me to the station."

"I won't give it to you; I'll give it to Mrs Gowler."

"An' a lot of it I'd see."

Mrs Gowler, who had been listening at the door, came into the room and
demanded to know what Mrs Bale meant.

Then followed a stream of recriminations, in which each accused the
other of a Newgate calendar of crime. Mavis at last got rid of them by
giving them threepence each.

Three nights before Mavis left Durley Road, she was awakened by the
noise of Jill's subdued growling. Thinking she heard someone outside
her room, she went stealthily to the door; she opened it quickly, to
find Mrs Gowler on hands and knees before her box, which she was trying
to open with a bunch of keys.

"What are you doing?" asked Mavis.

The woman entered into a confused explanation, which Mavis cut short by
saying:

"I've heard about your tricks. If I have any more bother from you, I
shall go straight from here to the police station."

"Gawd's truth! Why did I ever take you in?" grumbled Mrs Gowler as she
waddled downstairs. "I might 'ave known you was a cat by the colour of
your 'air."

The time came when Mavis was able to leave Durley Road. Whither she was
going she knew not. She paid her bill, refusing to discuss the many
extras which Mrs Gowler tried to charge, had her box taken by a porter
to the cloak room at the station, dressed her darling baby, said
good-bye to Piggy and went downstairs, to shudder as she walked along
the passage to the front door. She had not walked far, when an
ordinary-looking man came up, who barely lifted his hat.

"Can I speak to you, m'am?"

"What is it?"

"You have just left 9 Durley Road?"

"Y-yes."

"I'm a detective officer. I'm engaged in watching the house. Have you
any complaint to make?"

"I don't wish to, thank you."

"We know all sorts of things go on, but it's difficult to get evidence."

"I don't care to give you any because--because--"

"I understand, ma'm," said the man kindly. "I know what trouble is."

Mavis was feeling so physically and mentally low with all she had gone
through, that the man's kindly words made the tears course down her
cheeks.

She wiped them away,