ey thought instantly of the dread
Push when Chook grew restive.

"No," said Chook, deciding to cut it short, "I tore me coat an' cut me
lip gittin' away from the Johns at Paddy Flynn's alley."

Pinkey turned sick with fear. The two-up school was worse than the
Push, and they were ruined.

"I knew it the moment I set eyes on yer. Yer've been bettin' again,
an' lost all yer money. Yer've got nothing left for the markets, an'
the landlord'll turn us out," she cried, seeing herself already in the
gutter.

"Yes, I lost a bit, but I pulled up, an' I'm a couple of dollars to the
good," said Chook, feeling in his pocket for some half-crowns.

"Well, give it to me," said Pinkey, "an' I'll go straight termorrer and
pay ten shillings on a machine."

"Wot would yer 'ave said if I'd won ten or fifteen quid?" asked Chook.

"I should 'ave said 'Buy Jack Ryan's 'orse an' cart, an' never go near
a two-up school again'," said Pinkey, thinking of the impossible.

"Well, I won the dollars, an' I'll do as yer say," cried Chook emptying
his pockets on the counterpane.

As Chook poured the heap of gold and silver on to the bed, Pinkey
gasped, and turned deadly white. Chook thought she was going to faint.

"It's all right, Liz," he cried. "I've 'ad a good win, an' we're set
up fer life."

He was busy sorting the gold and silver into heaps, first putting aside
his stake, two pounds ten. There were fifteen pounds twelve shillings
and sixpence left. Pinkey stared in amazement. It seemed incredible
that so much money could belong to them. And suddenly she thought,
with a pang of joy, that no longer would she need to nerve herself for
the cruel journey to the markets in the morning. Chook would drive
down in his own cart, and she would be waiting on his return with a
good breakfast. They had gone up in the world like a rocket.

The marriage of Pinkey, three years ago, had affected Mrs Partridge
like the loss of a limb. For over two years she had been chained to
the same house, in the same street, with the desire but not the power
to move. Only once had she managed to change her quarters with the aid
of William, and the result had been disastrous. For the first time in
his life William had lost a day at Grimshaw's to move the furniture,
and for six months he had brooded over the lost time. This last move
had planted them in Botany Street, five minutes' walk from Chook's
shop. At first Mrs Partridge had fretted, finding