‘Go an’ get your wet things off, John,’ she said.  ‘You’ll be havin’ your rheumatics again.’

‘Never mind me, Maggie.  What business have you to be up an’ about?  You need a good deal more takin’ care of than I do.  Here, let Amy get the tea.’

The three children, Amy, Annie, and Tom, had come forward, as only children do who are wont to be treated affectionately on their father’s return.  John had a kiss and a caress for each of them; then he stepped to the bed and looked at his latest born.  The baby was moaning feebly; he spoke no word to it, and on turning away glanced about the room absently.  In the meantime his wife had taken some clothing from a chest of drawers, and at length he was persuaded to go into the other room and change.  When he returned, the meal was ready.  It consisted of a scrap of cold steak, left over from yesterday, and still upon the original dish amid congealed fat; a spongy half-quartern loaf, that species of baker’s bread of which a great quantity can be consumed with small effect on the appetite; a shapeless piece of something purchased under the name of butter, dabbed into a shallow basin; some pickled cabbage in a tea-cup; and, lastly, a pot of tea, made by adding a teaspoonful or two to the saturated leaves which had already served at breakfast and mid-day.  This repast was laid on a very dirty cloth.  The cups were unmatched and chipped, the knives were in all stages of decrepitude; the teapot was of dirty tin, with a damaged spout.

Sidney began to affect cheerfulness.  He took little Annie on one of his knees, and Tom on the other.  The mature Amy presided.  Hewett ate the morsel of meat, evidently without thinking about it; he crumbled a piece of bread, and munched mouthfuls in silence.  Of the vapid liquor called tea he drank cup after cup.

‘What’s the time?’ he asked at length.  ‘Where’s Clara?’

‘I daresay she’s doin’ overtime,’ replied his wife.  ’She won’t be much longer.’

The man was incapable of remaining in one spot for more than a few minutes.  Now he went to look at the baby; now he stirred the fire; now he walked across the room aimlessly.  He was the embodiment of worry.  As soon as the meal was over, Amy, Annie, and Tom were sent off to bed.  They occupied the second room, together with Clara; Bob shared the bed of a fellow-workman upstairs.  This was great extravagance, obviously; other people would have made two rooms sufficient for all, and many such families would have put up with one.  But Hewett had his ideas of decency, and stuck to them with characteristic wilfulness.

‘Where do you think I’ve been this afternoon?’ John began, when the three little ones were gone, and Mrs. Hewett had been persuaded to lie down upon the bed.  ‘Walked to Enfleld an’ back.  I was told of a job out there; but it’s no good; they’re full up.  They say exercise is good for the ’ealth.  I shall be a ’ealthy man before long, it seems to me.  What do you think?’