MS-WU-MSS008-3-50-2

[4177] receipt was. [4178] I described one. [4179] The money I spent on my son's education
and he did not know what a simple receipt was. [4180] But I think he knew as
well as I. [4181] For when I said to him, Now tell me what a receipt is, he told
me very prettily. [4182] I really did not care in the least whether he had been
fooled into paying for the bicycle three or four times what it was worth
or whether on the other hand he had appropriated the best part of the
purchase money for his own use.

[4183] The loss would not be mine. [4184] Give me the
ten shillings, I said. [4185] I spent them, he said. [4186] Enough, enough. [4187] He began
explaining that the first day the shops had been closed, that the second—
[4188] I said, Enough, enough. [4189] I looked at the carrier. [4190] It was the best thing
about that bicycle. [4191] It and the pump. [4192] Does it go by any chance? I said.
[4193] I had a puncture two miles from Hole, he said, I walked the rest of the
way. [4194] I looked at his shoes. [4195] Pump it up, I said. [4196] I held the bicycle.

[4197] I forget which wheel it was. [4198] As soon as two things are nearly identical
I am lost. [4199] The dirty little cheat ^twister was letting the air escape between the
valve and the connexion which he had purposely not screwed tight. [4200] Hold
the bicycle, I said, and give me the pump. [4201] The tyre was soon hard. [4202] I
looked at my son.

[4203] He began to protest. [4204] I soon put a stop to that. [4205] Five
minutes later I felt the tyre. [4206] It was as hard as ever. [4207] My son is vile, ^{I cursed him.}
I said. [4208] He took a bar of chocolate from his pocket and offered it to me.
[4209] I took it. [4210] But instead of eating it, as I longed to, and although I have
a horror of waste, I cast it from me, after a moment's hesitation, [4211] which
I trust my son did not notice.

[4212] Enough. [4213] We went down to the road. [4214] It was
more like a path. [4215] I tried to sit down on the carrier. [4216] The foot of my
stiff leg tried to sink into the ground, into the grave. [4217] I propped myself
up on one of the bags. [4218] Keep her steady, I said. [4219] I was still too low.
[4220] I added the other. [4221] Its bulges dug into my buttocks. [4222] The more things
resist me the more rabid I get. [4223] With time, and nothing but my teeth and