and tickled his fat legs, pretending to worry him like a dog. The pair
made a tremendous noise.

"Oh, gi' the kid a bit o' peace!" cried Ada, angry at being disturbed.

"Yous git round, an' 'elp Mum wi' the clothes," snapped Jonah.

"Me? No fear!" cried Ada, with a malicious grin. "I didn't knock off
work to carry bricks. Yous married me, an' yer got ter keep me."

Jonah looked at her with a scowl. She knew quite well that he had
married her for the child's sake alone. A savage retort was on his
tongue, but Mrs Yabsley stepped in.

"Well, Joe, now I see yer dead set on earnin' a livin', I don't mind
tellin' yer I've got somethin' up me sleeve. No, I don't mean a
guinea-pig an' a dozen eggs, like the conjurer bloke I see once," she
explained in reply to his surprised look; "but if yer the man I take yer
for, we'll soon 'ave the pot a-boiling. Many's the weary night I've spent
in bed thinkin' about you w'en I might 'ave bin snorin'. That reminds me.
Did y'ever notice yer can niver tell exactly w'en yer drop off? I've
tried all I know, but ye're awake one minit, an' chasin' a butterfly wi' a
cow's 'ead the next. But that ain't wot I'm a-talkin' about. Paasch 'e's
blue mouldy, an' couldn't catch a snail unless yer give 'im a start; an'
if yer went ter Packard's, yer'd tell the manager ter go to 'ell, an' git
fired out the first week. Yous must be yer own boss, Joe. I've studied
yer like a book, an yer nose wasn't made that shape for nuthin'."

"W'y, wot's wrong wi' it?" laughed Jonah, feeling his nose with its
powerful, predatory curve.