'I hope there's nothing wrong, Mrs Pipkin?'
'She'll be wanting to go out, and I won't have it. It isn't right; is it, ma'am? She's a good girl; but they've got such a way nowadays of doing just as they pleases, that one doesn't know what's going to come next.' Mrs Pipkin must have feared downright rebellion when she thus took her lodger into her confidence.
Ruby came down in her silk frock, as she had done before, and made her usual little speech. 'I'm just going to step out, aunt, for a little time to-night. I've got the key, and I'll let myself in quite quiet.'
'Indeed, Ruby, you won't,' said Mrs Pipkin.
'Won't what, aunt?'
'Won't let yourself in, if you go out. If you go out to-night you'll stay out. That's all about it. If you go out to-night you won't come back here any more. I won't have it, and it isn't right that I should. You're going after that young man that they tell me is the greatest scamp in all England.'
'They tell you lies then, Aunt Pipkin.'
'Very well. No girl is going out any more at nights out of my house; so that's all about it. If you had told me you was going before, you needn't have gone up and bedizened yourself. For now it's all to take off again.'
Ruby could hardly believe it. She had expected some opposition,--what she would have called a few words; but she had never imagined that her aunt would threaten to keep her in the streets all night. It seemed to her that she had bought the privilege of amusing herself by hard work. Nor did she believe now that her aunt would be as hard as her threat. 'I've a right to go if I like,' she said.
'That's as you think. You haven't a right to come back again, any way.'
'Yes, I have. I've worked for you a deal harder than the girl downstairs, and I don't want no wages. I've a right to go out, and a right to come back;--and go I shall.'
'You'll be no better than you should be, if you do.'
'Am I to work my very nails off, and push that perambulator about all day till my legs won't carry me,--and then I ain't to go out, not once in a week?'
'Not unless I know more about it, Ruby. I won't have you go and throw yourself into the gutter;--not while you're with me.'
'Who's throwing themselves into the gutter? I've thrown myself into no gutter. I know what I'm about.'