murdered me. I had an undefined suspicion
that they would illtreat and rob me, and prepared for the worst,--my
pluck got up then.

But fear of exposure was before me. "Look", said I, "I have no watch,
I have given her twenty shillings, here is every farthing I have about
me", and emptied my purse (there was but a shilling or two in it)
before them, and put all the money I had loose in my pocket on to the
chimney-piece. There was I think about seventeen shillings in all.
"Look it is every farthing I have,--you may have that you damned
thieves,--take it and let me go,--see my pockets are empty",--and I
turned them inside out.

"You've got more", said she, "be a gent, give her three pounds, she
never has less,--look at her, poor thing!" The girl stood whimpering,
she and the woman stood with their backs to the door, I with my back to
the two windows of the room which looked out on to the public court; the
fire-place was between us, the foot of the bed towards it; the fire was
burning brightly, the room was quite light. There they stood, the
clean, fresh, wholesome-looking lass, and besides her a shortish, thick,
hooked-nosed, tawney-colored, evil-looking woman,--the bawd,--she looked
like a bilious Jewess.

The woman kept repeating this, for a minute or two. I refused to give
any more, and grew collected. "Come now, what are you going to do?" said
the woman, "you are wasting all her evening." I took up half-a-crown
off the mantle-shelf, and pushing the rest along it, "I must keep this",
said I, "but take all the rest, I have no more,--I have no watch,--let
me go." The woman laughed sneeringly, and did not touch the money,
turned round, opened the door, and called out "Bill, Bill, come up."
"Halloh!" said a loud male voice from below.

I turned round, and with a violent pull, tore aside the red
window-curtains, and throwing up the window, and putting my head
out beneath the white blind, I screamed out,
"Police!--police!--murder!--murder!--police!--police!"

Beneath the very window stalked a policeman; heard me he must, the whole
alley must have heard me, but the policeman took no notice, and stalking
on turned round the corner out of sight. Then the fear came over me
that he was bribed, I feared they might be coming behind me, and turned
round; the woman was close to me, the girl at her back. "What are you
doing?" yelled the woman, "what are you kicking up a row for?--shut
the window,--go if you want, who is keeping