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"You've got the wrong cups, Mother."
She went into the kitchen, disposed of her purchases, and returned
with the right cups. "What you done to your face, Elfrid?" she asked,
and came and scrutinised his scratches. "All rough it is."
He repeated his story of the accident, and she was sympathetic in a
pleasant homely way.
"
You are quiet today," she said as they sat down to tea.
Meditatious," said Mr. Polly.
"
Quite by accident he touched her hand on the table, and she answered
his touch.
"
Why not?" thought Mr. Polly, and looking up, caught Mrs. Larkins' eye
and flushed guiltily. But Mrs. Larkins, with unusual restraint, said
nothing. She merely made a grimace, enigmatical, but in its essence
friendly.
Presently Minnie came in with some vague grievance against the manager
of the carpet-making place about his method of estimating piece work.
Her account was redundant, defective and highly technical, but
redeemed by a certain earnestness. "I'm never within sixpence of what
I reckon to be," she said. "It's a bit too 'ot." Then Mr. Polly,
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