t somewhere."

"Oh dear, yes. Since the trouble of her husband has become nearer,
she is earlier and earlier every day. Shall I send her?" Then she
departed, and in a few minutes Mrs Baggett entered the room.

"Come in, Mrs Baggett."

"Yes, sir."

"I have just a few words which I want to say to you. Your husband has
gone back to Portsmouth?"

"Yes sir; he have." This she said in a very decided tone, as though
her master need trouble himself no further about her husband.

"I am very glad that it should be so. It's the best place for
him,--unless he could be sent to Australia."

"He ain't a-done nothing to fit himself for Botany Bay, Mr
Whittlestaff," said the old woman, bobbing her head at him.

"I don't care what place he has fitted himself for, so long as he
doesn't come here. He is a disreputable old man."

"You needn't be so hard upon him, Mr Whittlestaff. He ain't a-done
nothing much to you, barring sleeping in the stable one night when
he had had a drop o' drink too much." And the old woman pulled out a
great handkerchief, and began to wipe her eyes piteously.

"What a fool you are, Mrs Baggett."

"Yes; I am a fool. I knows that."

"Here's this disreputable old man eating and drinking your
hard-earned wages."

"But they are my wages. And who's a right to them, only he?"

"I don't say anything about that, only he comes here and disturbs
you."

"Well, yes; he is disturbing; if it's only because of his wooden leg
and red nose. I don't mean to say as he's the sort of a man as does a
credit to a gentleman's house to see about the place. But he was my
lot in matrimony, and I've got to put up with him. I ain't a-going to
refuse to bear the burden which came to be my lot. I don't suppose
he's earned a single shilling since he left the regiment, and that is
hard upon a poor woman who's got nothing but her wages."

"Now, look here, Mrs Baggett."

"Yes, sir."

"Send him your wages."

"And have to go in rags myself,--in your service."

"You won't go in rags. Don't be a fool."

"I am a fool, Mr Whittlestaff; you can't tell me that too often."

"You won't go in rags. You ought to know us well enough--"

"Who is us, Mr Whittlestaff? They ain't no us;--just yet."

"Well;--me."

"Yes, I know you, Mr Whittlestaff."

"Send him your wages. You may be quite sure that you'll find yourself
provided with shoes and stockings, and the rest of it."

"And be a woluntary burden beyond what I earns! Never;--n