When Phineas had really brought distress upon her by owing her some thirty or forty pounds, she could never bring herself to be angry with him,--because he was handsome and because he dined out with Lords.
And she had triumphed greatly over her husband, who had desired to be severe upon his aristocratic debtor, when the money had all been paid in a lump.
"I don't know that he's any great catch," Bunce had said, when the prospect of their lodger's departure had been debated between them.
"Jacob," said his wife, "I don't think you feel it when you've got people respectable about you." "The only respectable man I know," said Jacob, "is the man as earns his bread; and Mr.Finn, as I take it, is a long way from that yet." Phineas returned to his lodgings before he went down to his club, and again told Mrs.Bunce that he had altogether made up his mind about the chambers.

"If you'll keep me I shall stay here for the first session I daresay." "Of course we shall be only too proud, Mr.Finn; and though it mayn't perhaps be quite the place for a member of Parliament--" "But I think it is quite the place." "It's very good of you to say so, Mr.Finn, and we'll do our very best to make you comfortable.

Respectable we are, I may say; and though Bunce is a bit rough sometimes--" "Never to me, Mrs.Bunce." "But he is rough,--and silly, too, with his radical nonsense, paying a shilling a week to a nasty Union just for nothing.

Still he means well, and there ain't a man who works harder for his wife and children;--that I will say of him.

And if he do talk politics--" "But I like a man to talk politics, Mrs.Bunce." "For a gentleman in Parliament of course it's proper; but I never could see what good it could do to a law-stationer; and when he talks of Labour going to the wall, I always ask him whether he didn't get his wages regular last Saturday.