the money by work done at home, out of office hours. It came
to four pounds altogether. At first I thought I would use it to
discharge a part of our debt to Eliza's mother. But it was very
possible that she would send it back again, in which case the pence
spent on the postal orders would be wasted, and I am not a man that
wastes pennies. Also, it was not absolutely certain that she would send
it back. I sent her a long letter instead--my long letters are almost
her only intellectual pleasure. As for the four pounds, I reserved two
for myself, for any incidental expenses, and decided to give two to
Eliza. I did not mean simply to hand them to her, but to get up
something in the way of a pleasant surprise.

I had tried something of the kind before. Eliza once asked me for six
shillings for a new tea-tray that she had seen. I went and stood behind
her chair, and said, "No, dear, I couldn't think of it," at the same
time dropping the six shillings down the back of her neck. Eliza said
it was a pity I couldn't give her six shillings for a tea-tray without
compelling her to go up-stairs and undress at nine o'clock in the
morning. It was not a success.

However, I had more than one idea in my head. This time I thought I
would first find out if there was anything she wanted.

So on Sunday at tea-time I said, not as if I were meaning anything in
particular, "Is there anything you want, Eliza?"

"Yes," she said; "I want a general who'll go to bed at half-past nine
and get up at half-past five. If they'd only do that, that's all I
ask."

"You will pardon me, Eliza," I said, "but you are not speaking
correctly. You said that was all that you asked. What you meant----"

"Do you know what I meant?"

"I flatter myself that I know precisely----"

"Then if you know precisely what I meant, I must have spoken
accurately."

But as we went to church I discovered that she wanted a new jacket. Her
own was trimmed rabbit, and had been good, but the fur had gone bald in
places.

* * * * *

Next morning I wrote on a sheet of note-paper, "To buy a new jacket.
With your husband's love." I folded the two sovereigns up in this, and
dropped the packet into the pocket of Eliza's old jacket, as it hung in
the wardrobe, not telling her what I had done. My idea was that she
would put on the jacket to go out shopping in the morning, and putting
her hand in the pocket, get a pleasant surprise. As I wa