as the late Dukeling of New Wanley. Socialist indeed!
But enough. We have probably heard the last of this _parvenu_ and
his loudly trumpeted schemes. No true friend of the Revolution can be
grieved.'

Mutimer bit his lip.

'Heard the last of me, have they? Don't be too hasty, Roodhouse.'

CHAPTER XXVII

A week later; the scene, the familiar kitchen in Wilton Square. Mrs.
Mutimer, upon whom time has laid unkind hands since last we saw her,
is pouring tea for Alice Rodman, who has just come all the way from
the West End to visit her. Alice, too, has suffered from recent
vicissitudes; her freshness is to seek, her bearing is no longer
buoyant, she is careless in attire. To judge from the corners of her
mouth, she is confirmed in querulous habits; her voice evidences the
same.

She was talking of certain events of the night before.

'It was about half-past twelve--I'd just got into bed--when the servant
knocks at my door. "Please, mum," she says, "there's a policeman wants
to see master." You may think if I wasn't frightened out of my life! I
don't think it was two minutes before I got downstairs, and there the
policeman stood in the hall. I told him I was Mrs. Rodman, and then he
said a young man called Henry Mutimer had got locked up for making a
disturbance outside a music hall, and he'd sent to my husband to
bail him out. Well, just as we were talking in comes Willis. Rare
and astonished he was to see me with all my things huddled on and a
policeman in the house. We did so laugh afterwards; he said he thought
I'd been committing a robbery. But he wouldn't bail 'Arry, and I
couldn't blame him. And now he says 'Arry 'll have to do as best he can.
He won't get him another place.'

'He's lost his place too?' asked the mother gloomily.

'He was dismissed yesterday. He says that's why he went drinking too
much. Out of ten days that he's been in the place he's missed two and
hasn't been punctual once. I think you might have seen he got off at the
proper time in the morning, mother.'

'What's the good o' blamin' me?' exclaimed the old woman fretfully.
'A deal o' use it is for me to talk. If I'm to be held 'countable he
doesn't live here no longer; I know that much.'

'Dick was a fool to pay his fine. I'd have let him go to prison for
seven days; it would have given him a lesson.'

Mrs. Mutimer sighed deeply, and lost herself in despondent thought.
Alice sipped her tea and went on with her voluble talk.