Then he was happy.

On Friday night, Saturday, and Sunday, he spent royally, getting rid of his sovereign or thereabouts.
And out of so much, he scarcely spared the children an extra penny or bought them a pound of apples.

It all went in drink.

In the bad times, matters were more worrying, but he was not so often drunk, so that Mrs.
Morel used to say: "I'm not sure I wouldn't rather be short, for when he's flush, there isn't a minute of peace." If he earned forty shillings he kept ten; from thirty-five he kept five; from thirty-two he kept four; from twenty-eight he kept three; from twenty-four he kept two; from twenty he kept one-and-six; from eighteen he kept a shilling; from sixteen he kept sixpence.

He never saved a penny, and he gave his wife no opportunity of saving; instead, she had occasionally to pay his debts; not public-house debts, for those never were passed on to the women, but debts when he had bought a canary, or a fancy walking-stick.
At the wakes time Morel was working badly, and Mrs.Morel was trying to save against her confinement.