582 ANGEL PAVEMENT

wife did not like the look of him. He was flushed and
rather untidy.

Mrs. Pearson rushed at him. "Come along, you poor,
poor man! Sit down here. Make yourself comfortable.
You've been working all this time while we've been en>
joying ourselves. Walter, give poor Mr. Dersingham a,
drink this minute. I'm sure you'd like one, wouldn't
you?"

Mr. Dersingham said that he would, and the next
minute he was taking a good swig of a large whisky and
soda. When he put the glass down he caught his wife's
eye, and for a moment he just stared at her. She liked
the look of him now less than ever. To begin with, this
was by no means the first large whisky he had had that
night. She saw that at once. But that was not all.
There was something wrong. She glanced round and
saw Miss Verever staring at him, and decided immedi-
ately that the sooner Miss Verever left them the better.
She did not mind much about the Pearsons, who were
kind and homely people, but she did not want Maud
Verever to see or hear anything. She was about to
suggest that they must go, when Mr. Pearson spoke.

"Had a long day, Dersingham, eh?" said Mr. Pear-
son, his cheeks wobbling sympathetically. "We were
just talking about it. I know what it is. I've had these
rushes, you know, working half the night—in the hot
season, too, not a breath of air. Takes it out of you, I'll
tell you. Still, it's good for business, isn't it? Better
than the other way round, eh? Tee-tee-tee-tee-tee."

"I think I really ought to be going now/' said Miss
Verever, with one of her dreadful smiles.

"Enjoyed yourself?" said Mr. Dersingham.

She started back, "Oh—of course," she replied, keep-