Payment Deferred by C.S. Forester — Read

The peace that had been so rudely disturbed was only with difficulty regained. The Marbles found it hard to settle down once more into the old groove. And no sooner had they begun to do so than another interruption to their peace -- if their panic-stricken existence can be so called -- occurred, this time at the hands of a more dangerous person, Madame Collins.

She had come to the limit of her patience. Nearly six months had elapsed since she had paid into her account a little roll of banknotes which might have been traced, had anyone taken the trouble, to Mr. Marble. After that last terrible occurrence, when that silly boy John had met with the motorcycling accident, she had indeed been content to wait a while, until matters should be quieter again, but this wait was too long altogether. Dressmaking in a back street in Dulwich with an automaton of a husband began to annoy her exceedingly. Anything was better than that, she decided. Even at Christmas time she had meditated action, but Winnie had been there when she called, and Winnie had looked her up and down with cool insolence and even Marguerite Collins had been abashed -- or, rather, had decided that it would be better if Winnie were not her enemy. She bided her time awaiting a more favourable moment.