"
"Bother the money!" says Mrs. Yolland. With these words, she appeared to
lose all command over herself; and, making a sudden snatch at the heap
of silver, put it back, holus-bolus, in her pocket. "It upsets one's
temper, it does, to see it lying there, and nobody taking it," cries
this unreasonable woman, sitting down with a thump, and looking at
Sergeant Cuff, as much as to say, "It's in my pocket again now--get it
out if you can!"
This time, I not only went to the door, but went fairly out on the
road back. Explain it how you may, I felt as if one or both of them had
mortally offended me. Before I had taken three steps down the village, I
heard the Sergeant behind me.
"Thank you for your introduction, Mr. Betteredge," he said. "I am
indebted to the fisherman's wife for an entirely new sensation. Mrs.
Yolland has puzzled me."
It was on the tip of my tongue to have given him a sharp answer, for no
better reason than this--that I was out of temper with him, because I
was out of temper with myself. But when he owned to being puzzled, a
comforting doubt crossed my mind whether any great harm had been done
after all. I waited in discreet silence to hear more.
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