Page:Ragged Trousered Philanthropists.djvu/59

 'I've put that down. What else?'

'A hundred of coal, one-and-six.'

'Next?'

'The instalment for the furniture and floorcloth, twelve shillings.'

'Next?'

'We owe the milkman four weeks; we'd better pay one week on account; that's one-and-two.'

'Next?'

'The greengrocer, one shilling on account.'

'Anything else?'

'We shall want a piece of meat of some kind, we've had none for nearly three weeks. You'd better say one-and-six for that.'

'That's down.'

'One-and-nine for bread; that's one loaf a day.'

'But I've got two shillings down for bread already,' said Easton.

'Yes, I know, dear, but that's to go towards paying off what we owe, and what you have down for the grocer and milkman's the same.'

'Well, go on, for Christ's sake, and let's get it done,' said Easton irritably.

'We can't say less than three shillings for groceries.'

Easton looked carefully at his list. This time he felt sure that the item was already down; but finding he was mistaken he said nothing and added the amount.

'Well, I've got that. What else?'

'Milk, one-and-two.'

'Next?'

'Vegetables, eightpence.'

'Yes.'

'Paraffin oil and firewood, sixpence.'

Again the financier scrutinised the list. He was positive that it was down already. However, he could not find it, so the sixpence was added to the column of figures.

'Then there's your boots; you can't go about with them old things in this weather much longer, and they won't stand mending again. You remember the man said they wasn't worth it when you had that patch put on a few weeks ago.'

'Yes. I was thinking of buying a new pair to-morrow. My socks was wet through to-night. If it's raining some morning 47