Jonah

skill in dancing, he courted her in the larrikin fashion. At night he stood in front of the house, and wh

on their acquaintances, whose sayings and doings they discussed with monotonous detail. If it rained, they stood under a veranda in the convention

sat in the gallery, packed like sardines. If it were hot, Jonah sat in his shirtsleeves, and went out for a drink at the intermission. When they reach

he ribs. Then a scuffle followed, with slaps, blows and stifled yells, till Ada's mother, aw

ge, had preferred to die of drink in his prime. The publi

swords!" she exclaimed. "My old man could swalle

eath her as she walked. She laughed as a bull roars; her face turned purple; she fought for air; the veins rose like cords on her forehead. She was pointed out to strangers like a public building as she

and rough tongue, could touch the heart with a word, when she was in the humour. Then she spoke so

irst few months saw the divine spark drowned in beer. She would pick a steady man with his two pounds a week; he would jump at the chance, and the whole street would turn out to the wedding. But, as is common, her far

general. She made no fuss when the child was born, and Jonah, who meditated flight, in fear of maintenance,

l y'earn enough ter keep yerself, an' Gawd know

nical lips; and in that moment determined to make him Ada's husband. Yet he was the last man she would have chosen for a son-in-law. A loafer and a vagabond, he spoke of marri

stir. Such accidents were common. Mrs Yabsley reared the child as she had reared her daughte

d suspicion, meeting Ada in the streets. It was her scheme to get him to live in the house; the rest, she thought, would be easy. But Jonah feared di

greed to spend the night there on account of the fowls. He was interested

lip of a girl, loaded with bundles, gave Jonah a quick look of fear and scorn. The man stared Jonah full in the face without a sign of recognition, and bent his head over the child with a caressing movement. Jonah noted the look of humble pride in his eyes, and marvelled. Twelve months ago he was Jonah's rival in the Push, famous for his strength and audacity, and now butter wouldn't m

and found a young policeman, new to this beat, struggling with an undersized man with the face of a ferret. Jonah's first thought was to effect a rescue, as his practised eye took in the details of the scene. Let them get away from the light of the st

n, the constable straightened his back, wiped the sweat from his face, and then, suddenly desperate, called on the nearest to help him. The men slipped behind the women, who l

elf; do yer ow

e poor bl

yer may

n' swear his life away ter g

ock a man about as they

hey took the scoundrels that w

hich side their bread's bu

ess, with torn collar, his clothes covered with the dirt he was rolling in, t

ent young man turned into a criminal under their ver

s a man,

his arms were twisted behind his back till the sinews cracked, and the procession moved off to the station. When Jonah reached the cottage, he stood irresolute on the other side of the street.

ed Ada. "Mum

a pile of shirts and collars, loo

ranger!" she cried. "Sit do

looking round nervously for th

he old woman's fowls," she continued.

elief the dirt and poverty of the interior. The walls were stained with grease and patches of dirt, added

off his hat, but, uncertain of his footing, pushed it on the back of

hite fronts. The small black iron ran swiftly over the clean surface, leaving a smooth, shini

antly offered it to Mrs Yabsle

for it when I'm done," she replied, wiping her for

nto silence. He was glad that he had brought his mouth-organ,

k's supplies. For she did her shopping at the last minute, in a panic. It had been her mother's way-to dash into the butcher's as he swept the last bones togethe

s, she heard the tinkle of a bell in th

ies, all 'o

oe?" she cried, dropping the

t mind," s

n' git threepenn'

the basin full of green peas

Ada sat down to the peas, which they ate with keen r

ly about the room and listening, as if he expected to hear somet

tune, Joe,"

y nights the Push marched through the streets, with Jonah in the lead, playing tunes that he learned at the "Tiv". He breathed slowly into the

rases of the popular songs. Ada listened spellbound, amazed by this talent for music, carried back to the gallery of the music-hall where she had

's only talent lay in her feet, and, conscious of her skill, she danced before the hunchback with the lightness of a feather, revolving smoothly on one spot, reversing, adv

cried Ada. "We carn't

on, and began to hum the words of

, they neve

e cheerily o

, I long fo

y White Wings and

head on Jonah's breast, their bodies pressed together, rigid as the pasteboard figures in a peep-show. They were interrupted by a cry from Mrs

ep now. Cum an' 'ave a look a

g with anger. "Wot did yer promi

his mind. This was a trap, an

ing his mouth-organ, turned to go-to find his way blocked by Mr