He worked at his trade by fits and starts, earning enough to keep himself in cigarettes.
That was six months ago, and Ada had returned to the factory, where her disaster created no stir.

Such accidents were common.

Mrs Yabsley reared the child as she had reared her daughter, in a box-cradle near the wash-tub or ironing-board, for Ada proved an indifferent mother.
Then, with a sudden change of front, she encouraged Jonah's intimacy with Ada.

She invited him to the house, which he avoided with an animal craft and 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.