But an unforeseen difficulty presented itself.  Totty positively declined to visit Mrs. Poole at present.  There was plenty of time for that, she said; wait till Christmas was nearer.

So Ackroyd and Totty once more fell out, and this time very gravely.  For a fortnight they did not see each other.  And even when the inevitable renewal of kindness came about, Totty made it a condition that she must not be asked to visit Mrs. Poole.  Time enough for that.

Mrs. Poole was, of course, offended.  It took her longer than a fortnight before she could hear any reference to Totty.

Early in December Totty had a bit of news to impart which gave Ackroyd a good deal of anxiety.  She had been talking with Mrs. Bower, and that lady had as good as said that she could no longer keep old Mr. Boddy in her house.

‘He’s three weeks behind with his rent,’ Totty said, ’and he’s sold everything he had to sell, except his fiddle, to pay even so long.’

‘But do you think Lydia Trent knows that?’

’I can’t say.  I should think most likely she doesn’t.  She’s nothing to do with none of the Bowers, and hasn’t had for a long time; and you may be quite sure Mr. Boddy wouldn’t be the first to tell her how things was.  Thyrza often said what work they had to get him to take anything from them.’

‘He’s got no work then?’

’Only a shilling now and then.  Mrs. Bower says he’s getting too slow for the people as employed him.  I shouldn’t wonder if he’s as good as starved most days.’

’What brutes those Bowers are!  And now, I suppose, they’re going to turn the old man into the street.  That’s the Christianity that their girl has taught them.  I tell you what, I’ll see if I can’t find a bit of something for him to do.  But then, what’s the good?  It’ll only keep him a day or two.  Lydia ‘ll have to be told about it.’

‘It’s all very well,’ remarked Totty, ’but I don’t see how she’s to keep him.  Besides, I think she might have found out for herself how things was going before now.’

’You may depend upon it, it’s only because the old man’s hidden it from her so that she couldn’t have an idea.  I don’t like to hear you speak like that of Lydia, Totty.’

‘I don’t see that there’s any harm in what I said.’

‘Well, I know you didn’t mean it to be unkind, but it sounded so.’

‘You’re always very sharp about Lydia.’

’I know I am.  She’s a good girl, and she’s a great deal to bear.  I think everybody ought to respect her.’

It was perilously near a misunderstanding, but Totty was not altogether in earnest, and had good sense enough to refrain from unworthy suggestions on such a subject.  Ackroyd had sometimes half suspected that she quarrelled on trivial grounds of set purpose, for he was well aware of her native sincerity and honest plainness of dealing.