ndered
what was going to happen. Presently there came the sound of a deep tread
in the passage and a policeman entered.

"What's all this?" he said in a deep voice.

"Constable," said Nurse, "will you please remove this dreadful woman?"

"What's she been doing?" asked the policeman.

"She's drunk."

Mrs. Frith apparently overwhelmed by the enormity of the accusation
tottered to her feet and seized a saucepan.

"None of that now," said the policeman roughly, as he caught her by the
waist.

"Oh, I'm not afraid of a bluebottle," said Mrs. Frith haughtily. "Not of
a bluebottle, I'm not."

"Are you going to charge her?" the policeman asked.

"No, no. Nothing but turn her out. The girl's packing her box. Give her
the box and let her go."

"Not without my wages," said Mrs. Frith. "I'm not going to leave my
wages behind. Certaintly I'm not."

Nurse fumbled in her purse, and at last produced some money.

"That's the easiest way," said the policeman. "Pay her the month and let
her go. Come on, my lady."

He seized Mrs. Frith and began to walk her to the door as if she were a
heavy sack. Michael began to cry. He did not want Mrs. Frith to be hurt
and he felt frightened. In the passage she suddenly broke loose and,
turning round, pushed Nurse into the laundry-basket and was so pleased
with her successful effort that she almost ran out of the house and
could presently be heard singing very cheerfully 'White wings, they
never grow weary,' to the policeman. In the end her trunk was pushed
down the front-door steps, and after more singing and arguing a
four-wheeler arrived and Mrs. Frith vanished for ever from Carlington
Road.

The effect of this scene on Nurse was to make her more repressive and
secretive. She was also very severe on vulgarity; and all sorts of old
words were wrapped up in new words, as when bread and dripping became
bread and honey, because dripping was vulgar. The house grew much
gloomier with Mrs. Frith's departure. The new cook whose name Michael
never found out, because she remained the impersonal official, was very
brusque and used to say: "Now then, young man, out of my kitchen or I'll
tell Nurse. And don't hang about in the passage or in two-twos you'll be
sorry you ever came downstairs."

It was autumn again, and the weather was dreary and wet. Michael
suffered a severe shock one morning. It was too foggy to go to school
and he was sitting alone in the window of the morning-room, staring a