Peter said, "Oh, I'll pay you the rent and the bills before I go. I
promise I will. But I can't pay much else, you know, Mrs. Baker. So when
people come to dun me, tell them I've gone no one knows where. I'm
awfully sorry about it, but I've simply no money left."

His smile, as always, softened her, and she nodded.

"I'll deal with 'em, sir ... I knew you was over-spending yourself, as it
were; I could have told you, but I didn't like. You'd always lived so
cheap and quiet till the day before yesterday; then all these new things
so suddenly. Ader and I said as you must 'ave come in for some money, or
else as (you'll excuse me, sir) you was touched in the 'ead."

"I wasn't," said Peter. "Not in the least. I wanted the things, so I got
them. But now I come to think of it, I shan't want most of them any more,
as I'm going away, so I think I'll just return them to the shops they
came from. Of course they won't be pleased, but they'll prefer it to
losing the money _and_ the things, I suppose, won't they. And we haven't
spoiled them a bit, except that cushion Francesco has just walked over,
and that can be cleaned, I expect. I had to have them, you know, just
when I wanted them; I couldn't have borne not to; but I don't really
need them any more, because I'm going to have other things now. Oh, I'm
talking too much, and you want to be cooking the supper, don't you, and
I want to put Thomas to bed."




CHAPTER XX