"Jest let him, that's all!"
And within the prescribed time he was driving Mrs Jenkles up to Mrs
Lane's wretched lodgings.
Mrs Jenkles passed in, after a word or two with her husband, and saw at
a glance Barney of the black chin smoking in his shop, and Mrs Barney
looking over his shoulder. She took no notice of them, and went
upstairs, to find Mrs Lane looking very pale and much excited, holding
Netta's hand.
"And how's my pretty to-night?" said Mrs Jenkles, after a quick glance
had passed between her and the mother.
"Quite--quite well," said the girl, placing both her hands in those of
Mrs Jenkles, and holding her face to be kissed; but her unnaturally
bright eyes and flushed face contradicted her words, and she kept
glancing timidly towards the door.
"That's right, my dear," said Mrs Jenkles. "Ah! and I see you've got
the trunk packed, and all ready. I've got some flowers for you at home,
and everything waiting; so don't you go looking like that."
"She has been a little frightened today," said Mrs Lane; "the people
downstairs--"
"Oh, don't you mind them," said Mrs Jenkles. "They don't like losing
good lodgers, now it comes to the point, with all their grumbling. Have
you paid your bit of rent?"
"Yes," said Mrs Lane; and she glanced anxiously at her child, whose
alarm seemed to increase.
"I see," said Mrs Jenkles, in her most business-like way. "Now, look
here, the thing is to get it over quickly. Have you got everything
there?" and she pointed to a trunk and carpet-bag.
"Yes, everything," said Mrs Lane.
"Then I'll call up Sam to take them down to the cab."
"No, no--stop!" exclaimed Netta. "Oh! mamma, had we not better stop?
That man--what he said this morning!"
"There, there, my pretty," said Mrs Jenkles, "don't you be alarmed.
You leave it to me."
Then going to the window, she signalled to Sam, who was busy tying knots
in his shabby whipthong.
As Mrs Jenkles turned from the window, the door was thrown open, and
Mrs Sturt, looking very aggressive, entered the room, closely followed
by her lord, smoking his black pipe of strong, rank tobacco.
Netta shrank timidly back into her seat, catching at her mothers hand,
while the result of the tobacco-smoke was to set her coughing painfully.
"Now if you please," said Mrs Sturt, "I want to know what this means?"
And she pointed to the trunk and the other manifest signs of departure.
"I told you a week ago, Mrs Sturt, that we intended to leave," said
Mrs Lane, speaking with a forced calmness, as she pressed her child's
hand encouragingly.
"And so you think a week's notice is enough after the way as we've been
troubled to get our bit of rent?" said Mrs Sturt, raising her voice.
"Are we to be left with our place empty, after harbouring a pack of
lodgers with no more gratitude than--than--than nothing?" continued the
woman, at a loss for a simile.
"I have nothing to do with that," said Mrs Lane, with dignity. "Mrs
Sturt, I have rigidly kept to the arrangement I made with you, and you
have no right to expect more."
"Oh, haven't I?" said the woman. "Do you hear that, Barney? I'll just
let 'em see!"
Barney growled, and showed his teeth.
"Lookye here," he said, hoarsely; "you aint agoing to leave here, so now
then. And you, missus," tinning to Mrs Jenkles, "you're gallus clever,
you are; but you may let your lodgings to some one else."
Netta's clutch of her mother's hand grew convulsive, and her face wore
so horrified an expression that Mrs Jenkles did not reply to the
challenge directed at her, but stepped to the poor girl's side.
"Don't you be frightened, my dear," she whispered; and then to
herself--"Why don't Sam come?"
"Mr Sturt," said Mrs Lane, firmly in voice, though she trembled as she
spoke to the fellow, "you have no right to try and force us to stay if
we wish to leave."
"Oh! aint I," said Barney. "I'll let you see about that. Here, give us
that," he said, turning to snatch a paper from his wife's hand. "Let
alone what he telled me too, about yer--"
"He! Who?" exclaimed Mrs Lane, excitedly.
Netta started from her chair.
"Never you mind," said Barney, showing his great teeth in a grin. "You
think I don't know all about yer, now, don't yer? But you're precious
mistaken!"
"But tell me, man, has any one--"
"There, there, it's all right, Mrs Lane--you've got to stop here,
that's what you've got to do. What have you got to say to that, for
another thing?"
As Barney spoke, he thrust the paper down before Mrs Lane, and went on
smoking furiously.
"What's this? I don't owe you anything," said Mrs Lane, whose courage
seemed failing.
"Don't owe us anything, indeed!" said Mrs Sturt, in her vinegary voice;
"why, there's seven pun' ten, and seven for grosheries!"
"Oh! this is cruel as it's scandalous and false!" cried Mrs Lane, in
reply to Mrs Jenkles's look. "I do not owe a shilling."
"Which you do--there!" cried Mrs Sturt; "and not a thing goes off these
premishes till it's paid."
"And they don't go off, nor them nayther, when it is paid," said Barney,
grinning offensively. "So now, Mrs What's-yer-name, you'd better be
off!"
Mrs Jenkles had been very quiet, but her face had been growing red and
fiery during all this, and she gave a sigh of relief as she patted Netta
on the shoulder; for at that moment Sam came slowly into the room,
closed the door, and bowed and smiled to Mrs Lane and her daughter.
"Sam," said Mrs Jenkles; and then she stopped almost aghast at her
husband's proceedings, for with a sharp flourish of the hand, he knocked
Barney's pipe from his mouth, the stem breaking close to his teeth, and
he looking perfectly astonished at the cabman's daring.
"What are yer smoking like that for, here? Can't yer see it makes the
young lady cough?"
"I'll--" exclaimed Barney, rushing at Sam menacingly; and Netta uttered
a shriek.
"Don't you mind him, Miss," said Sam, laughing, "it's only his fun.
It's a little playful way he's got with him, that's all. Which is the
boxes?"
"That trunk, and the carpet-bag, Sam," said Mrs Jenkles; and Sam
advanced to them.
"Hadn't we better give up?" said Mrs Lane, pitifully; and she glanced
at Netta who trembled violently.
"I should think not, indeed," said Mrs Jenkles. "Don't you be afraid--
they daren't stop you."
"But we just dare," said Mrs Sturt, furiously. "Not a thing goes off
till my bill's paid."
"And they don't go off when it is! now then," said Barney.
"Don't let him touch those things," said Mrs Sturt.
"Sam, you take that trunk down directly," said Mrs Jenkles. "Now, my
dear; come along."
"All right," said Sam, and he advanced to the trunk; but Barney pushed
himself forward, and sat down upon the box; while, as Mrs Jenkles
placed her arm round Netta, and led her towards the door, Mrs Sturt
jerked herself to it, and placed her back against the panels.
"You're a nice 'un, you are, Barney Sturt, Esquire, of the suburban
races," said Sam, good-temperedly; "but it aint no good, so get up, and
let's go quietly."
Barney growled out an oath, and showed his teeth, as Mrs Lane came up
to Sam, and laid her hand on his shoulder.
"Thank you much," she said, with a shudder; "but I give up: we cannot
go."
"Believe you can't," said Barney, grinning. "D'yer hear that, cabby?"
"Yes, I hear," said Sam, gruffly; "and if it weren't that I don't want
to make a row afore the ladies, I'd have you off that trunk afore you
knew where you was. And as to leaving the box alone, my missus said I
was to take it down to the keb. Is it to go, old lady?"
"Yes, certainly," said Mrs Jenkles, with flashing eyes.
"Now, Barney, d'yer hear?" said Sam.
"Who do you call Barney? You don't know me," said he.
"Oh no," said Sam; "I don't know you. I didn't give yer a lift in my
'ansom, and drive yer away down at 'Ampton, when the mob had torn yer
clothes into rags for welching, and they was going to pitch yer in the
Thames, eh?"
Barney scowled, and shuffled about on his seat.
"Now, then," said Sam; "are you going to get up?"
"No," said Barney.
"Mrs Jenkles, pray end this scene!" exclaimed Mrs Lane,
pitifully--"for her sake," she added in a whisper.
"I'll end it, mum," said Sam.
And he gave a sharp whistle, with the result that the door was opened so
violently that Mrs Sturt was jerked forward against Sam, the cause
being a policeman, who now stood in the entry, with the further effect
that Barney leaped off the trunk, and stood looking aghast.
Mrs Jenkles gave a sigh of relief, and a gratified look at her husband.
"Here's the case, policeman," said Sam. "Ladies here wants to leave
these lodgings: they've given notice and paid their rent; but the missus
here brings out a bill for things as the lady says she's never had, and
wants to stop their boxes. It's county court, aint it? They can't stop
the clothes?"
"Nobody wants to stop no boxes," said Barney, uneasily. "Only it was
precious shabby on 'em going like this."
"Then you don't want to stop the boxes, eh?" said Sam.
Mrs Sturt gave her husband a sharp dig with her elbow.
"Be quiet, can't you!" he snarled; and then to Sam, "'course I don't."
"Then ketch hold o' t'other end," said Sam, placing the bag on the
trunk.
And like a lamb Barney helped to bear his late lodger's impedimenta
downstairs, and then to place them on the cab, as Mrs Jenkles led Netta
half fainting from the room.
Five minutes after, Sam had banged-to the rattling door, shutting in the
little party, climbed to his box, and settled himself in his place, with
a good-humoured nod to the policeman, who stood beating his gloves
together, while Barney stood at the side of his wife.
"Here's the price of a pint for you, Barney," said Sam, throwing him a
couple of pence--money which Barney instantly secured; and then, vowing
vengeance against the donor, he slunk off in the opposite direction; but
only to double round by a back street, and track the cab like a dog,
till he saw it set down its inmates at the humble little home of Mrs
Jenkles.
Volume 2, Chapter X.