The following day was the August bank-holiday. ‘No, she’ll have no rest. She’s going to do some cleaning in Goswell Road.’ Daniel drummed with his fingers on the table. ‘She isn’t fit to do it, that’s quite certain,’ Mrs. Clay continued. ‘I wish I could get her out for an hour or two. She wants fresh air, that’s what it is. I s’pose you’re going somewhere to-morrow?’ It was asked insinuatingly, and at the same time with an air of weary resignation. ‘Well, I did think o’ gettin’ as far as Epping Forest. D’you think you could persuade Emma to come? you and the children as well, you know. I’ll have the mare out if she will.’ ‘I can ask her and see. It ‘ud be a rare treat for us. I feel myself as if I couldn’t hold up much longer, it’s that hot!’ She threw a glance towards the bar. ‘Will you have a bottle o’ lemonade?’ Daniel asked. ‘It’s very kind of you. I’ve a sort o’ fainty feeling. If you’d just put ever such a little drop in it, Mr. Dabbs.’ Daniel betrayed a slight annoyance. But he went to the door and gave the order. ‘Still at the same place?’ he asked on resuming his seat. ‘Emma, you mean? Yes, but it’s only been half a week’s work, this last. And I’ve as good as nothing to do. There’s the children runnin’ about with no soles to their feet.’ The lemonade--with a dash in it--was brought to her, and she refreshed herself with a deep draught. Perhaps the dash was not perceptible enough; she did not seem entirely satisfied, though pretending to be so. ‘Suppose I come round to-night and ask her myself?’ Daniel said, as the result of a short reflection. ‘It ‘ud be kind of you if you would, Mr. Dabbs. I’m afraid she’ll tell me she can’t afford to lose the day.’ He consulted his watch, then again reflected, still drumming on the table. ‘All right, we’ll go,’ he said, rising from his chair. His coat was hanging on a peg behind the door. He drew it on, and went to tell the barmaid that he should be absent exactly twenty minutes. It was Daniel’s policy to lead his underlings to expect that he might return at any moment, though he would probably be away a couple of hours. The sisters were now living in a street crossing the angle between Goswell Road and the City Road. Daniel was not, as a rule, lavish in his expenditure, but he did not care to walk any distance, and there was no line of omnibuses available. He took a hansom.