For his own part he seldom gave a thought to the girl, and was far from imagining that she cared whether he kept on friendly terms with her or not.

At his landlady's suggestion he had joined in the domestic plot for sending Polly to "Coventry"-- a phrase, by the by, which would hardly have been understood in Mrs.Bubb's household; he argued that it might do her good, and that in any case some such demonstration was called for by her outrageous temper.

If Polly could not get on with people who were sincerely her friends and had always wished her well, let her go elsewhere and exercise her ill-humour on strangers.

Gammon did not believe that she would go; day after day he expected to hear that the quarrel was made up, and that Polly had cleared her reputation by a few plain words.
But this was the last day save one of Polly's week, and as yet she had given no sign.

On coming down into the kitchen to discuss his fried eggs and bacon he saw at once that Mrs.Bubb was seriously perturbed; with huffings and cuffings--a most unusual thing--she had just despatched her children to school, and was now in conflict with Moggie about a broken pie-dish, which the guilty general had concealed in the back-yard.