Still, you've only got to hear the bankers on the budget, Then you'll know the giving game is hardly "high finance"; Which no more it wasn't for that poor old dame to trudge it, _Tick, tack, tick, tack_, on such a devil's dance: Crumbs, it took me quite aback to see her stop so humble, Casting up into my face a sort of shiny glance, _Bless you, bless you_, that was what I thought I heard her mumble; Lord, a prayer for poor old Bill, a rummy sort of chance! Crumbs, that shiny glance Kinder made me king of all the sky from here to France. XII _Tick, tack, tick, tack_, but now she toddled faster: Soon she'd reach the little twisted by-way through the wheat. "Look 'ee here," I says, "young woman, don't you court disaster! Peepin' through yon poppies there's a cottage trim and neat White as chalk and sweet as turf: wot price a bed for sorrow, Sprigs of lavender between the pillow and the sheet?" "No," she says, "I've got to get to Piddinghoe to-morrow! P'raps they'd tell the work'us! And I've lashings here to eat: Don't the gorse smell sweet?"... Well, I turned and left her plodding on beside the wheat. XIII Every cent I'd given her like a hero in a story; Yet, alone with leagues of wheat I seemed to grow aware Solomon himself, arrayed in all his golden glory, Couldn't vie with Me, the corn-flower king, the millionaire! How to cash those bright blue cheques that night? My trouser pockets Jingled sudden! Six more pennies, crept from James knew where! Crumbs! I hurried back with eyes just bulging from their sockets, Pushed 'em in the old dame's fist and listened for the prayer, Shamming not to care, Bill--the blarsted chicken-thief, the corn-flower millionaire. XIV _Tick, tack, tick, tack_, and faster yet she clattered! Ay, she'd almost gained a yard! I left her once again. Feeling very warm inside and sort of 'ighly flattered, On I plodded, all alone, with hay-stacks in my brain. Suddenly, with _chink--chink--chink_, the old sweet jingle Startled me! 'TWAS THRUPPENCE MORE! Three coppers round and plain! Lord, temptation struck me and I felt my gullet tingle. Then--I hurried back, beside them seas of golden grain: No, I can't explain; There I thrust 'em in her fist, and left her once again. XV