Just then the other woman, who had been standing apart with the big boy
all this time, called out something in the same strange-sounding
language. And, apparently forgetting the children's presence, the man
roared out at her with such brutal roughness that Duke and Pamela shrank
back trembling. The first woman hastened to reassure them.

"For shame, Mick," she said, and then with a laugh she turned to the
children. "It's just a way he has. You must excuse him, master and
missy. And if little master will go quick for the money-box it would be
better. There won't be much in it, I suppose, but it isn't much we'd
want to take."

"Oh but there's a great deal," said Duke. "One big guinea--that's
between us, and two little ones, one each, and three shillings and a
fourpenny of mine----"

"And five sixpences and seven pennies of mine," said Pamela.

"Who'd a-thought it?" said the woman admiringly. "I'd be pleased to see
so much money for once."

"Well, I'll show it you," said Duke, and off he started. Pamela looked
after him for a moment.

"Wouldn't it be better," she said to the woman, "if you saw a bit of the
bowl, then you could find the ones like it in a minute?"

"What a clever missy!" exclaimed the woman, bent on flattery.