He dreaded his wife.
Having hurt her, he hated her.

He did not know what to do with himself that evening, having not even twopence with which to go to the Palmerston, and being already rather deeply in debt.

So, while his wife was down the garden with the child, he hunted in the top drawer of the dresser where she kept her purse, found it, and looked inside.

It contained a half-crown, two halfpennies, and a sixpence.

So he took the sixpence, put the purse carefully back, and went out.
The next day, when she wanted to pay the greengrocer, she looked in the purse for her sixpence, and her heart sank to her shoes.