'E 'as found 'em out, the 'uzzies," Gleg had observed; for he had decided that the general cause of the change in his master was Woman, though he did not know the particular woman who had 'ipped him.
As the lad ate his wonderful breakfast, in which nearly half a pot of marmalade and enough butter for three ordinary people figured, Stafford read the papers attentively, to give his guest a fair chance at the food and to overcome his self-consciousness.

He got an occasional glance at the trencherman, however, as he changed the sheets, stepped across the room to get a cigarette, or poked the small fire--for, late September as it was, a sudden cold week of rain had come and gone, leaving the air raw; and a fire was welcome.
At last, when he realized that the activities of the table were decreasing, he put down his paper.

"Is it all right ?" he asked.

"Is the coffee hot ?" "I ain't never 'ad a meal like that, y'r gryce, not never any time," the boy answered, with a new sort of fire in his eyes.
"Was there enough ?" "I've left some," answered his guest, looking at the jar of marmalade and half a slice of toast.

"I likes the coffee hot--tykes y'r longer to drink it," he added.
Ian Stafford chuckled.