"Then I am to give him notice to-morrow?"
"You cannot keep him after what has happened. You must give him a
week's wages and let him go."
"Who is to take his place?"
"Why do you not try Jim? He is rough, it is true, but he knows the
shop. He can write well enough for that work, and all you want is
somebody to be there when you are out."
Mr. Furze shuddered. That was not all he wanted, but he had hardly
allowed himself, as we have already seen, to confess his weakness.
"It might be as well, perhaps," added Mrs. Furze, "to have Tom up
to-morrow and talk to him here."
"That will be much better."
It was now tea-time, and immediately afterwards Mr. and Mrs. Furze
went to church.
Soon after nine on the following morning, and before Mr. Furze had
left, Jim appeared with another request "to see the missus."
"I'll go downstairs," she said. "He wants to see me about the
boiler."
There was nobody but Jim in the kitchen.
"Well, Jim?"
"Well, marm."
"What have you got to say?"
"No, marm, it's wot 'ave you got to say?"
"It is very shocking about Mr. Catchpole, is it not? But, then, we
are not surprised, you know; we have partly suspected something for
a long time, as I have told you."
"'Ave you really? Well, then, it's a good thing as he's found out."
"I am very sorry. He has been with us so long, and we thought him
such a faithful servant."
"You're sorry, are you? Yes, of course you are.
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