Presently the left door opens, and_ JIM
HEELER _appears_.
JIM (_crossing_). I'll go straight up to him, Tubby.
TUBBY (_checking him_). He's getting up, Mr. Heeler.
JIM. Getting up! Why, you said--
TUBBY. I told you what he told me to tell you. Run for Doctor
MacFarlane, he said. And I ran for Doctor MacFarlane. Now go to
Mr. Heeler, he said, and tell him I'm very ill, and I came and
told you. Then he said he would get up, and I was to have his
breakfast ready for him, and he'd see you down here. (_Goes to
fire_, R.)
JIM (_moving towards door up_ R.). Nonsense, Tubby. Of
course, I'll go up to him.
TUBBY. You know what he is, sir. I'll get blamed if you go, and
he's short-tempered this morning.
JIM. I don't want to get you into trouble, Tubby. (_He sits_
R. _of table_.)
TUBBY. Thank you, Mr. Heeler. (_Puts bacon on plate and plate
down on the hearth_.)
JIM. I quite thought it was something serious.
TUBBY. If you ask me, it is. (_Coming back to table_.)
JIM. Which way?
TUBBY (_cutting bread_). Every way you look at it. Mr.
Hobson's not his own old self, and the shop's not its own old
self, and look at me. Now I ask you, Mr. Heeler, man to man, is
this work for a foreman shoe hand? Cooking and laying tables
and--
JIM.
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