Page:Gissing - The Nether World, vol. II, 1889.djvu/308

 “Haven’t you had yours?” he replied, half-facing her.

“Not yet.”

“Get it, then,—all of you. Yes, you can pour me out a cup,—and put another on the little tray. Is this stuff in the saucepan ready?”

“Mrs. Eagles said it would be in five minutes.”

“All right. Get on with your eatin’, all of you.”

He went to Mrs. Eagles’ room and talked there for a short time. Presently Mrs. Eagles herself came out and silently removed from the saucepan a mixture of broth and meat. Having already taken the cup of tea to Clara, Hewett now returned to her with this food. She was sitting by the fire, her face resting upon her hands. The lamp was extinguished; she had said that the firelight was enough. John deposited his burden on the table, then touched her shoulder gently and spoke in so soft a voice that one would not have recognised it as his.