her
husband's eye. In fact, to use her own expression, she was all of a
twitter, and did not know what Sam would say; for though she nominally
ruled him, Sam had a will of his own.

"Well, and did you find out about 'em?"

"Yes, Sam," said Mrs Jenkles, without raising her eyes.

"Bad lot, aint they?" he said, puffing away at his pipe.

Mrs Jenkles shook her head.

"What, aint I been took in, then?" said Sam. "Aint they deep, designing
people, as got hold of yer poor innocent husband, and swindled him out
of thirty bob?"

"Oh, Sam, Sam!" exclaimed Mrs Jenkles, with her lip quivering, "I never
see anything so pitiful in my life."

"Poof!" exclaimed Sam, bursting out into a guffaw, as he turned in his
seat, hugged the back of the chair, and shook with laughter. "That's my
poor, silly, soft old wife, as can't be trusted out. Did they offer to
pay you any of the money back?"

Mrs Jenkles nodded.

"How much?"

"Half a sovereign, Sam."

"Well, that's something; and jolly honest, too!"

"But I didn't take it, Sam," said Mrs Jenkles, dropping her work, to go
and rest her hands upon his shoulder.

"You didn't take it?"

"No, Sam, dear."

"Then you've been and let 'em have more."

"Yes, Sam, dear."

"There's a wife for you," he said--"there's a helpmate; and I aint made
my guv'nor's money to-day by four bob."

"I couldn't help it, Sam--I couldn't, indeed," she said; bursting into
tears; "it was so pitiful--she's a real lady, I'm sure, and her
daughter, straining over that heart-breaking work; oh! it was more than
I could bear."

"I wasn't such a werry great fool, Sally," he said.

"Oh no, Sam. Oh no. But I haven't told you all yet."

"You haven't?"

"No, dear."

"Well, put me out of my misery at once," said Sam, "that's all."

"Don't be angry with me, Sam, it'll come back to us some way, I hope;
and if it don't, we shall only have done what thousands more would have
done if they had only known."

"Let's have it," said Sam, gruffly.

"They're paying seven and six, Sam, for those wretched rooms, and the
woman's a horrid creature."

"Yes, she is that," said Sam, nodding.

"And the poor young lady's frightened to death of the man, who insulted
her once. He is a dreadful-looking fellow."

"Wuss, ever so much," said Sam, nodding at his pipe-bowl.

"And I--I--"

"Told 'em about our being about to be empty; that's about what you did,"
said Sam.

"Yes, Sam."

"Well, you're a nice one.