THEY GO HOME 599

applicants, "Good luck!" and had received the ghost of
a smile. "There are four of us here. George is out of
work, though he might get something soon. He's a good
lad, really. There's Edna. She's earning nothing now."

"She will be before this time next week/' said Mrs.
Smeeth quickly. "I'll see to that."

"She might be, and then again, she might not. And
in a week or two I'll be among the unemployed. And
we've got about forty odd pounds saved up, that's what
we've got, all told, unless you count this furniture/*

"I can work," cried Mrs. Smeeth fiercely. "You
needn't think there'll be me to keep in idleness. Ill get
something. Ill go out charring first/'

"But I don't want you to go out charring," Mr.
Smeeth told her, almost shouting. "I didn't marry you
and I haven't worked all this time, never missing a
minute if I could help it, and we didn't save and plan
to get this home together, so you could go out charring.
My God, it's not good enough. When I think of the way
I've worked and planned and gone without things to get
us a decent position—1" His voice dropped.

"Well manage somehow/' And having said this, Mrs.
Smeeth, the gay and confident partner, suddenly and
astonishingly burst into tears.

"Manage? Well have to manage," Mr. Smeeth had
begun, grimly. Then he changed his tone. "Here, Edie.
That's all right, that's all right. Now then, now then.
I'm sorry I lost my temper too—"

"It was my fault," she sobbed. "Yes, it is. I deserved
it. I know I've spent too much money, Yes, I have."

"Oh, never mind. You weren't to know the firm was
going broke like that. I didn't know myself. Never
more surprised in my life. Here, Edie. Now then, now