Verity looked solemnly at his visitor.
'The young person, Mr Hoskins, shall have whatever she's given. There's no bar to her taking it. But I mayn't. A man mustn't be rewarded for doing what's only his duty. You know that.'
Hoskins hardly bothered to disguise the contempt in his eyes.
'His lordship anticipated some such objection. Is there a boy?'
'What sort of a boy?' inquired Verity suspiciously. 'A boy Verity, o' course.'
'Oh,' said Verity, 'a son, you mean? There's only Billy. He's three.'
Hoskins nodded.
'Among his many other benevolences, Lord Stephen is a governor of the 'ospital school. He anticipated some such difficulty as you made but felt it could hardly extend to depriving your own son.'
'Billy Verity ain't deprived of nothing!' said Verity indignantly.
'Quite so,' Hoskins waved the objection away. 'I therefore been instructed to tell you that when the governors of the school meets again, Lord Stephen's nomination for the coming year shall go to Master Billy Verity.'
Verity stared at the young man, not understanding.
'Nomination?'
'Your son,' said the steward, 'shall receive the finest education in the land without a penny cost to yourself. He shall be a great man, if he has it in him. A man of learning, a soldier, a judge.'
'I dunno what to say, Mr Hoskins.' He struggled with the imagined portrait of Billy in judicial ermine.
'You don't need to say,' replied the steward. 'Lord Stephen's nomination shall be made. You must be a hard man, Verity, if you would deny such a gift to your son.'
'Course I wouldn't,' said Verity, bewildered and undecided. 'Course I never would.'
The rest of the conversation, the departure of the steward and the arrangements to be made for Billy when he should attain the age of six were lost to him. After the commendation of Superintendent Gowry this latest news left him numb.
'And you won't deny it to your own flesh and blood, Mr Verity! Not if I know it!'
For the sixth time since they had clambered into bed in the Tidy Street room, Bella voiced her determination in the matter.
'A great man, 'e said. A judge!'
'And why shouldn't your son be a judge?' she cried. 'Why shouldn't he be a great man if he gets the chance?'
There was an ominous shifting from one of the two cradles at the foot: of the bed.
' 's all right, Mrs Verity! Ain't I said it's all right?'
"You was lucky,' said Bella complacently. 'You was lucky you didn't take the hundred pounds. What your son shall have is worth a good many times more 'n that.'
'A man don't take rewards for doing his duty, Bella! Mr Hoskins can't see it, p'raps, but your pa brought you up to know better!'
The starlight was glistening on the Brighton slates just as it had so many nights before when he had woken in the room alone.
'And fifty pounds might go a long way to put young Jolly right,' said Bella insistently, 'now we give her a roof.'
' 's only for two weeks,' said Verity gently, touching Bella's face.
'Mr Stringfellow says she'll be no inconvenience back in Paddington Green. Pa says it'll stop you thinking nastiness about him and little Ruthie up in them attics.'
'Whatcher mean?' Verity sat upright in bed.
'Nowhere else for young Ruth to sleep, 'cept in the attic next to his. But you got no cause to think nastiness about it, William Clarence Verity. No cause whatever! There's what they call a chap-y-rone now, Jolly being in with Ruthie.'
'You mean Mr Stringfellow got both them young persons up there with him in the attics?' The agony in his voice was distinct and shrill.
'You gotta nasty mind, William Verity! Pa done everything in the world for you and your offspring, 'f it wasn't for his little 'ouse, you wouldn't have a roof over the heads of any of us!'
It was the second time that they had quarrelled over the attic accommodation since Ruth's arrival. As on the previous occasion Verity heard, in the faint noises of the sleeping house, Stringfellow's fruity chuckle of appreciation. There was a series of sounds which were identical with those made by the cabman's hand when it patted Lightning's flanks. Two separate female giggles followed simultaneously and a throaty old voice said: 'Clever little 'orse!'
'It give your mind a turn,' said Bella severely. 'I know it do. Having to do with criminals and nastiness give your mind a turn. Now all you can do is talk nastiness about poor papa!'
'No!' said Verity hastily. 'No, I never!'
'Mr Stringfellow says Jolly won't be any more inconvenience to him than Ruth.'
A sigh of female contentment breathed high over their heads and there was a shifting of iron springs. Too weary to continue the argument, Verity slid down between the sheets again. Presently he began to drift into sleep, aware that Bella's outburst was over and that she was moving softly towards him. After a little while he stirred and felt that she was as naked and marble smooth as Jolly had been on that other night which seemed to him now so long ago. His hands moved contentedly upon her and Bella snuggled tighter against him.
'Oh, Mr Verity,' she breathed, the world lost to her in their happiness. 'Oh, Mr Verity, what a good brave sojer I've got!'
SV - 05 - Sergeant Verity and the Swell Mob. Page 26
