mother's money. She'll stick to every shilling of it till she dies; and she'd take it with her then, if she knew how." Having said this, he got up from his chair, put his little book into his pocket, and walked out of the office. He pushed his way across the court, which was more than ordinarily crowded with the implements of Burton and Bangles' trade, and as he passed under the covered way he encountered at the entrance an old woman getting out of a cab. The old woman was, of course, Mother Van, as her partner, Mr. Dobbs Broughton, irreverently called her. "Mrs. Van Siever, how d'ye do? Let me give you a hand. Fare from South Kensington? I always give the fellows three shillings."
"You don't mean to tell me it's six miles!" And she tendered a florin to the man.
"Can't take that, ma'am," said the cabman.
"Can't take it! But you must take it. Broughton, just get a policeman, will you?" Dobbs Broughton satisfied the driver out of his own pocket, and the cab was driven away. "What did you give him?" said Mrs. Van Siever.
"Just another sixpence. There never is a policeman anywhere about here."
"It'll be out of your own pocket, then," said Mrs. Van. "But you're not going away?"
"I must be at Capel Court by half-past twelve;—I must, indeed. If it wasn't real business, I'd stay."
"I told Musselboro I should be here."
"He's up there, and he knows all about the business just as well as I do. When I found that I couldn't stay for you, I went through the account with him, and it's all settled. Good morning. I'll see you at the West End in a day or two." Then he made his way out into Lombard Street, and Mrs. Van Siever picked her steps across the yard, and mounted the stairs, and made her way into the room in which Mr. Musselboro was sitting.
"Somebody's been smoking, Gus," she said, almost as soon as she had entered the room.
"That's nothing new here," he replied, as he got up from his chair.
"There's no good being done when men sit and smoke over their work. Is it you, or he, or both of you?"
"Well;—it was Broughton was smoking just now. I don't smoke of a morning myself."
"What made him get up and run away when I came?"
"How can I tell, Mrs. Van Siever," said Musselboro, laughing.
