Mrs. Darling was married in white, and at first she kept the books
perfectly, almost gleefully, as if it were a game, not so much as a
Brussels sprout was missing; but by and by whole cauliflowers dropped
out, and instead of them there were pictures of babies without faces.
She drew them when she should have been totting up. They were Mrs.
Darling s guesses.
Wendy came first, then John, then Michael.
For a week or two after Wendy came it was doubtful whether they would
be able to keep her, as she was another mouth to feed. Mr. Darling was
frightfully proud of her, but he was very honourable, and he sat on the
edge of Mrs. Darling s bed, holding her hand and calculating expenses,
while she looked at him imploringly. She wanted to risk it, come what
might, but that was not his way; his way was with a pencil and a piece
of paper, and if she confused him with suggestions he had to begin at
the beginning again.
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 cheque-book 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.
Remember mumps, he warned her almost threateningly, and off he went
again. Mumps one pound, that is what I have put down, but I daresay it
will be more like thirty shillings don t speak measles one five, German
measles half a guinea, makes two fifteen six don t waggle your
finger whooping-cough, say fifteen shillings and so on it went, and it
added up differently each time; but at last Wendy just got through,
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