'ouse near Queen's Road Station. Wants things for an at
'ome--teaspoons as well--couldn't I make it ninepence the two dozen!
That's the kind of place where there'll be breakages. But they pay
well, the breakages do."

"Well, I won't keep you now," said Gammon. "I'm going to have a peep
at the bow-wows. Could I look in after closing?"

Mrs. Clover turned her head away, pretending to observe the muscular
youth within.

"Fact is," he pursued, "I want to speak to you about Polly."

"What about her?"

"Nothing much. I'll tell you this evening."

Without more words he nodded and went off. Mrs. Clover stood for a
moment with an absent expression on her comely face, then turned
into the shop and gave the young man in shirt-sleeves a bit of her
mind about the time he was taking over his work.

She was anything but a bad-tempered woman. Her rating had no malice
in it, and only signified that she could not endure laziness.

"Hot, is it? Of course it's hot. What do you expect in June? You
don't mind the heat when you're playing cricket, I know."

"No, mum," replied the young giant with a grin.