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Gissing, George, 1857-1903

"The House of Cobwebs and Other Stories"

Rockett, I'm sorry to tell you that you will have to leave the lodge.
My lady allows you two months, though, as your wages have always been paid
monthly, only a month's notice is really called for. I believe some
allowance will be made you, but you will hear about that. The lodge must be
ready for its new occupants on the last day of October.'
The poor woman all but sank. She had no voice for protest or entreaty--a
sob choked her; and blindly she made her way to the door of the room, then
to the exit from the Hall.
'What in the world is the matter?' cried May, hearing from the
sitting-room, whither she had retired, a clamour of distressful tongues.
She came into the kitchen, and learnt what had happened.
'And now I hope you're satisfied!' exclaimed her mother, with tearful
wrath. 'You've got us turned out of our home--you've lost us the best place
a family ever had--and I hope it's a satisfaction to your conceited,
overbearing mind! If you'd _tried_ for it you couldn't have gone to work
better. And much _you_ care! We're below you, we are; we're like dirt under
your feet! And your father'll go and end his life who knows where miserable
as miserable can be; and your sister'll have to go into service; and as for
me--'
'Listen, mother!' shouted the girl, her eyes flashing and every nerve of
her body strung.


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