But there's something to say yet of Mrs. Brumm. You saw her turning away from Robert East's door, saying that her husband, Andrew, had promised to come home that night and to bring his wages. Mrs. Brumm, a bad manager, as were many of the rest, would probably have received him with a kitchen, buckets, and besoms. Andrew had had experience of this, and, disloyal that he was, allowed himself to be into the Horned . He'd just take one and a pipe, he said to his conscience, and be home in time for his wife to get what she wanted. A little private matter of his own would call him away early. Pressed for a sum of money in the week which was owing to his club, and not possessing it, he had put his Sunday coat in pledge: and this he wanted to get out. However, a comrade sitting in the next chair to him at the Horned Ram had to get his coat out of the same accommodating receptacle. Nothing more easy than for him to bring out Andrew's at the same time; which was done. The coat on the back of his chair, his pipe in his mouth, and a pint of good ale before him, the outer world was as nothing to Andrew Brumm.  
At ten o'clock, the landlord came in. "Andrew Brumm, here's your wife wanting to see you."
 
Now Andrew was not a bad sort of man by any means, but he had a great to being looked after. A joke went round at Andrew's expense; for if there was one thing the men in general hated more than another, it was that their wives should come in quest of them to the public-houses. Mrs. Brumm received a sharp reprimand; but she saw that he was, as she expressed it, "getting on," so she got some money from him and kept her scolding for another opportunity.
 
She did not go near the pawnbroker's to get her irons out. She bought a bit of meat and what else she wanted, and returned to Honey Fair. Robert East was closing his door for the night as she passed it. "Has Brumm come home?" he asked.
 
"Not he, the toper! He is stuck fast at the Horned Ram, getting in for it nicely. I have been after him for some money."
 
"Have you got your irons out?" inquired Charlotte, coming to the door.
 
"No, nor nothing else; and there's pretty near half the kitchen in. It's him that'll suffer. He has been getting out his own coat, but he can't put it on. Leastways, he won't without a clean collar and shirt; and let him fish for them. Wait till to-morrow comes, Mr. 'Drew Brumm!"
 
"Was his coat in?" returned Charlotte, surprised.
 
"That it was. Him as goes on so when I puts a thing or two in! He owed some money at his club, and he went and put his coat in for four shillings, and Adam Thorneycroft has been and fetched it out for him."
 
"Adam Thorneycroft!" involuntarily returned Charlotte.
 
"Thorneycroft's coat was in too, and he went for it just now, and Brumm gave him the ticket to get out his. Smith's daughter told me that. She was serving with her mother in the bar."
 
"Is Adam Thorneycroft at the Horned Ram still?"
 
"That he is: side by side with Brumm. A nice pair of 'em! Charlotte East, take my advice; don't you have anything to say to Thorneycroft. A woman had better climb up to the top of her topmost chimbley and pitch herself off, head foremost, than marry a man given to drink."
 
Charlotte East felt at the allusion—vexed that her name should be coupled openly with that of Adam Thorneycroft by the busy tongues of Honey Fair. That an existed between herself and Adam Thorneycroft was true; but she did not wish the fact to become too apparent to others. Latterly she had been her heart to forget him, for he was taking to frequent public-houses.
 
Mrs. Brumm went home, and was soon followed by her husband. He was not much the worse for what he had taken: he was a little. Mrs. Brumm reproached him with it, and a wordy war ensued.
 
They arose peaceably in the morn............