‘When’s Thyrza Trent going to be married?’ asked Mrs. Allchin.  ’Do you know, Totty?’

‘In about a fortnight, I think.’

‘Is the bands puts up?’

‘They’re going to be married at the Registry Office.’

‘Well, I never!’ cried Annie West.  ’You wouldn’t catch me doing without a proper wedding!  I suppose that’s why Thyrza won’t talk about it.  But I believe he’s a rum sort of man, isn’t he?’

Nobody could reply from personal acquaintance with Gilbert Grail.  Totty did not choose to give her opinion.

‘I say,’ she exclaimed, ’we’ve had enough about marriages.  Tilly, make yourself useful, child, and cut some bread.’

For a couple of hours at least gossip was unintermittent.  Then Mrs. Allchin declared that her husband would be ‘making a row’ if she stayed from home any later.  Tilly Roach took leave at the same time.  Totty and Miss West chatted a little longer, then put on their hats to have a ramble in Lambeth Walk.

They had not gone many paces from the house when they were overtaken by some one, who said: 

‘Totty!  I want to speak to you.’

Totty would not look round.  It was Ackroyd’s voice.

‘I say, Totty!’

But she walked on.  Ackroyd remained on the edge of the pavement.  In a minute or two he saw that Miss Nancarrow was coming towards him unaccompanied.

‘Oh, it’s you, is it?’ she said.  ‘What do you want, Mr. Ackroyd?’

‘Why didn’t you come this afternoon?’

‘Well, I like that!  Why didn’t you come?’

’I was a bit late.  I really couldn’t help it, Totty.  Did you go away before I came?’

‘Why, of course I did.  How long was I to wait?’

’I’m very sorry.  Let’s go somewhere now.  I’ve been waiting about for more than an hour on the chance of seeing you.’

He mentioned the chief music-hall of the neighbourhood.

‘I don’t mind,’ said Totty.  ‘But I can’t go beyond sixpence.’

‘Oh, all right!  I’ll see to that.’

’No, you won’t.  I pay for myself, or I don’t go at all.  That’s my rule.’

‘As you like.’

The place of entertainment was only just open; they went in with a crowd of people and found seats.  The prevailing odours of the hall were stale beer and stale tobacco; the latter was speedily freshened by the fumes from pipes.  Ackroyd ordered a glass of beer, and deposited it on a little ledge before him, an arrangement similar to that for different purposes in a church pew; Totty would have nothing.