Chapter Nine

MR. SMEETH IS WORRIED

"\ "T T**ERE are

X/V turn*n§ roun(l in his chair to look at his
f f wife, who had suddenly made her appear-
ance in the doorway, wearing her hat and coat. She was
still flushed with temper. It was surprising how young
and smart she looked, Still, she could not go on like that,
no matter how young and smart she looked.

"Out," she replied, with that special look and special
voice she had for him when they had quarrelled. Oh
dear!

"Yes, I know that," he pointed out, "but where you
going to?"

Up she blazed then, with her colour flaming and her
fine blue eyes flashing at him: "Just out, and that's
enough for you. Begrudge every penny you give me,
keep me as short as you possibly can, tell me I mustn't
buy this and mustn't buy that, go peeping and spying
about and then lose your silly temper because you've
seen something you don't like to see—though-goodness
me!—there can't be a woman in this street who hasn't a
few bills like that in the house, and most of them a lot
more and instalments, too, to pay and their husbands not
bringing in anything like what you are—" Here Mrs.
Smeeth stopped, not because this fine rhetorical sentence

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