She didn’t object to Mrs Moseley in herself, but she was suspicious of any one who had known the house before she came there, convinced that the old woman would sniff at her improvements and perhaps make mischief, poking her nose into all the drawers and cupboards while she, the mistress, was in bed. And perhaps John Fellows would compare Mrs Moseley’s cooking with her own! But her husband wasn’t having any nonsense of that kind. ‘Silly wench, yo’ don’t know what’s good for you!’ he said, considering the matter settled. Alice cried; but he didn’t take any notice of that sort of thing. As the time drew nearer it distressed Mrs Moseley to think that she might still be in bed when she was wanted. She wished to be there not only for the sake of the husband but also because she couldn’t afford to miss the ten shillings that her fortnight’s work would bring her, to say nothing of the fortnight’s keep. Abner was impatient with her questions. ‘Oh, don’t yo’ worry about _her_,’ he said. ‘She’s not worth it. Got a temper like a cat.’ ‘You shouldn’t say that, dear,’ said Mrs Moseley. ‘She’s the mother that the Lord’s given you. And it’s hard days for women when they’re like that. I’ve been through it myself, so I know what they feels like. It’ll be different when the baby comes along.’ But Abner was sure it wouldn’t be different. It would take more than a baby to change Alice. ‘Besides, she bain’t my mother,’ he said. ‘A regular cat . . . that’s what she bin! You’m the nearest I’ve ever had to a mother.’ Mrs Moseley smiled. Secretly, when he wasn’t looking, she wiped her left eye on the patchwork counterpane. The Third Chapter IN the middle of a summer night Abner’s father came blundering into his son’s bedroom. ‘Come along, get a shift on you!’ he said. ‘Go and holler to Mrs Moseley, and then run on to the doctor’s.’ In his hand he carried a candle which lit up his surly face and threw the folds on either side of the grimy wrinkles into relief. His eyes were bleared and angry, for he had been sleeping like a log and resented any disturbance at night. ‘It bain’t no good my going for her,’ said Abner sleepily. ‘She’s got a bad leg.’ ‘Bad leg be bosted!’ shouted John Fellows. ‘She’ll have to come if I send for her. Tak’ your hook now!’