The Foot of Time: A Novel of Australia and the South Seas: (1933)

CHAPTER XII.
FLORENCE TOOTH.
"STUFF and nonsense! Don't tell me!"
Miss Tooth flounced round at her maid of all
work. "Look at them, girl! Come and look at
them yourself. Paper to the right of them, orange
peel to the left of them, banana peel all around
them. I'd pick them off with a machine gun if I
had my way. Stuff and nonsense! Don't tell me!"
"Please, Mum, I'm glad you haven't. I was
a'there myself a week ago come Sunday. Me and
my young man, just having a bite of tea, innocent
like."
"Bah! Young man, indeed! What does a young
girl like you want with a young man I should like
to know? Tell me that."
"My Bill's one of the few, Miss, as you might
say, keeps straight and 'olds of 'is job, as the saying
is."
"Bah! There's no such saying. How often do I
tell you not to keep on reiterating `as the saying
is'? Don't do it. Do you hear me—don't say it!"
"No, lady. No offence, I'm sure, Mum."
"There, there! Don't take too much notice of
what I say, child. Now get off to your tea, do.
Help yourself to some of that cake and jam in
THE FOOT OF TIME 101
the cupboard, and then lay tea for two. I'm expecting
Miss Edith by the five o'clock boat."
"Yes, my lady," answered the girl brightly. She
liked Miss Edith in the house. It soothed her mistress's
temper.
"Auntie— Auntie, darling, I want to have an
extra special talk to you."
"Do you, child? Come, sit yourself down, there's
adearpet, and tell your old Aunt what it is all
about."
"Bruce Swinton has asked me to marry him,
Aunt Floss."
Edith appeared to think this a staggerer, but
the t upon Florence Tooth was scarcely elec-
"Of course, Edith. I could have told you that
myself," she gave her quietly.
"How ever did you know, Auntie?"
"It's written there in your face, my dear. Upon
my soul, I never saw anything written so plainly
in my life! But what is all the trouble associated
with it? You're looking ill with worry."
"Auntie, there is a brick wall between us as
thick--as thick—"
"As the walls of China. Yes, go on, child."
"There are millions of things between us. It
seems impossible that we can ever marry."
"Stuff and nonsense, child! Don't tell me. People
with chins on them like that young cub of yours,
and with little devils in them like—" Florence
bent her old head down and kissed the girl. Edith
was sitting on the floor at her feet, resting her elbow