“Now don’t interrupt,” he would beg of her. “I have one pound seventeen here, and two and six at the office; I can cut off my coffee at the office, say ten shillings, making two nine and six, with your eighteen and three makes three nine seven, with five naught naught in my chequebook makes eight nine seven⁠—who is that moving?⁠—eight nine seven, dot and carry seven⁠—don’t speak, my own⁠—and the pound you lent to that man who came to the door⁠—quiet, child⁠—dot and carry child⁠—there, you’ve done it!⁠—did I say nine nine seven? yes, I said nine nine seven; the question is, can we try it for a year on nine nine seven?”

“Of course we can, George,” she cried. But she was prejudiced in Wendy’s favour, and he was really the grander character of the two.