“That,” said his wife, pointing at the cook-general.

Mr. Porter put down his knife and fork.  “Got ’er in to help,” he replied, uneasily.

“Do you hear that?” demanded his wife, turning to her friend, Mrs. Gorman.  “Oh, these masters!”

“Ah!” said her friend, vaguely.

“A strike-breaker!” said Mrs. Porter, rolling her eyes.

“Shame!” said Mrs. Gorman, beginning to understand.

“Coming after my job, and taking the bread out of my mouth,” continued Mrs. Porter, fluently.  “Underselling me too, I’ll be bound.  That’s what comes of not having pickets.”

“Unskilled labour,” said Mrs. Gorman, tightening her lips and shaking her head.

“A scab!” cried Mrs. Porter, wildly.  “A scab!”

“Put her out,” counselled her friend.

“Put her out!” repeated Mrs. Porter, in a terrible voice.  “Put her out!  I’ll tear her limb from limb!  I’ll put her in the copper and boil her!”

Her voice was so loud and her appearance so alarming that the unfortunate Maudie, emitting three piercing shrieks, rose hastily from the table and looked around for a way of escape.  The road to the front-door was barred, and with a final yelp that set her employer’s teeth on edge she dashed into the yard and went home via the back-fences.  Housewives busy in their kitchens looked up in amazement at the spectacle of a pair of thin black legs descending one fence, scudding across the yard to the accompaniment of a terrified moaning, and scrambling madly over the other.  At her own back-door Maudie collapsed on the step, and, to the intense discomfort and annoyance of her father, had her first fit of hysterics.

“And the next scab that comes into my house won’t get off so easy,” said Mrs. Porter to her husband.  “D’you understand?”

“If you ’ad some husbands—­” began Mr. Porter, trembling with rage.

“Yes, I know,” said his wife, nodding.  “Don’t cry, Jemmy,” she added, taking the youngest on her knee.  “Mother’s only having a little game.  She and dad are both on strike for more pay and less work.”

Mr. Porter got up, and without going through the formality of saying good-bye to the hard-featured Mrs. Gorman, put on his cap and went out.  Over a couple of half-pints taken as a sedative, he realized the growing seriousness of his position.

In a dull resigned fashion he took up his household duties again, made harder now than before by the scandalous gossip of the aggrieved Mr. Stevens.  The anonymous present of a much-worn apron put the finishing touch to his discomfiture; and the well-meant offer of a fair neighbour to teach him how to shake a mat without choking himself met with a reception that took her breath away.

It was a surprise to him one afternoon to find that his wife had so far unbent as to tidy up the parlour.  Ornaments had been dusted and polished and the carpet swept.  She had even altered the position of the furniture.  The table had been pushed against the wall, and the easy-chair, with its back to the window, stood stiffly confronting six or seven assorted chairs, two of which at least had been promoted from a lower sphere.