He did not know whether "doigts" meant "fingers"; he knew that for all HIS purposes it meant "toes".
"Fingers to stockings!" he snapped.
"Well, it DOES mean fingers," the boy persisted.
He hated the little man, who made such a clod of him.

Mr.Jordan looked at the pale, stupid, defiant boy, then at the mother, who sat quiet and with that peculiar shut-off look of the poor who have to depend on the favour of others.
"And when could he come ?" he asked.
"Well," said Mrs.Morel, "as soon as you wish.

He has finished school now." "He would live in Bestwood ?" "Yes; but he could be in--at the station--at quarter to eight." "H'm!" It ended by Paul's being engaged as junior spiral clerk at eight shillings a week.

The boy did not open his mouth to say another word, after having insisted that "doigts" meant "fingers".

He followed his mother down the stairs.