The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists
a few seconds it became placid, the mouth resumed its usual shape, the limbs relaxed, and the child slumbered peacefully.
'Don't you think he's getting thin?' asked Easton. 'It may be fancy, but he don't seem to me to be as big now as he was three months ago.'
'No, he's not quite so fat,' admitted Ruth. 'It's his teeth what's wearing him out; he don't hardly get no rest at all with them.'
They continued looking at him a little longer. Ruth thought he was a very beautiful child; he would be eight months old on Sunday. They were sorry they could do nothing to ease his pain, but consoled themselves with the reflection that he would be all right once those teeth were through.
'Well, let's have some tea,' said Easton at last.
Whilst he placed his wet boots and socks in front of the fire, and put on dry socks and a pair of slippers in their stead, Ruth half filled a tin basin with hot water from the boiler and gave it to him, and he then went into the scullery, added some cold water and began to wash the paint off his hands. This done, he returned to the kitchen and sat down at the table.
'I couldn't think what to give you to eat to-night,' said Ruth, as she poured out the tea. 'I hadn't got no money left and there wasn't nothing in the house except bread and butter and that piece of cheese. So I cut some bread and butter and put some thin slices of cheese on it and toasted it on a plate in front of the fire. I hope you'll like it: it was the best I could do.'
'That's all right; it smells very nice, anyway, and I'm very hungry.'
As they were taking their tea, Easton told his wife about Linden's affair and his apprehensions as to what might befall himself. They were both very indignant, and sorry for poor old Linden, but their sympathy for him was soon almost forgotten in their fears for their own immediate future.
They remained at the table in silence for some time, then:
'How much rent do we owe now?' asked Easton.
'Four weeks, and I promised the collector the last time he called that we'd pay two weeks next Monday. He was quite nasty about it.'
'Well, I suppose you'll have to pay it, that's all,' said Easton.
'How much money will you have to-morrow?' asked Ruth.
He began to reckon up his time: he had started on Monday and to-day was Friday; five days from seven to five, less half
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