Chapter 11 – One Fine Day
The urge to yawn is contagious, it is said, and this contagion spread across the City with great speed as the Smug peered over the horizon. Washerwomen yawned, dunny men yawned, policemen yawned, thieves yawned, dukes in their towers and tramps their gutters yawned, wastrels and workaholics yawned, even dogs and cats yawned. Ambrosius yawned.
“Good morning, sir,” said Stan, yawning too. “Looks like it's to be a fine day.”
“Yes, said Ambrosius. A fine day.”
“One fine day,” she said, “I'll sell that old pony-trap and get something sparkling and new.”
“What are we going to do?” asked Ambrosius.
“One fine day,” he said, “I'll take them away from this sink-hole and we'll have a proper family holiday for once.”
]“That's up to you, sir. I see no reason not to start on our little venture straight away.”
]“One fine day,” she said, “I'll get her that toy horse she's always wanted. Then she won't think her mummy doesn't love her.”
It was a short walk to their target, a poor area a few blocks away. Ambrosius was nervous, but as the door opened his confidence surged back and expressed itself in his smile.
“One fine day,” he said, “I'll put a proper spread on the table, not the same old fishmeal day after day.”
“So if you'll just sign there...”
“One fine day,” she said, “I'll get them clothes that haven't been passed down for three generations and darned so many times there's not an original stitch on them.”
“What do you think it is that makes people suspend belief to such an extent?”
“One fine day,” he said, “I'll send them to a proper school, then they'll have a chance in life.”
“Oh, well there's lots of things,” said Stan.
“One fine day,” she said.