At last she spoke with unusual bitterness.
"Need he rest with his muddy boots on my chesterfield?"
At this point Mr. Jones awoke from sleep, hypnotised out of it by her
cold eye.
He was profuse in his apologies. He believed he had fainted. He had
had a bad headache, brought on probably by exposure to the early
morning sun. He felt much better after his faint. He regretted having
fainted on to the lady's sofa. He partially brushed off the traces of
his dirty boots with an equally dirty hand.
"You've done _nothing_ in this room," said Mrs. Brown. "We shall
_never_ get finished. William, come away! I'm sure you're hindering
them."
"Me?" said William in righteous indignation. "_Me?_ I'm _helpin'_!"
After what seemed to Mrs. Brown to be several hours they began on the
heavy furniture. They staggered out with the dining-room sideboard,
carrying away part of the staircase with it in transit. Mrs. Brown,
with a paling face, saw her beloved antique cabinet dismembered
against the doorpost, and watched her favourite collapsible card-table
perform a thorough and permanent collapse. Even the hat-stand from the
hall was devoid of some pegs when it finally reached the van.
"This is simply breaking my heart," moaned Mrs. Brown.
"Where's William?" said Ethel, gloomily, looking round.
"'Sh! I don't know. He disappeared a few minutes ago. I don't know
_where_ he is. I only hope he'll stay there!"
The removers now proceeded to the drawing-room and prepared to take
out the piano.
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