you?--this is a respectable
house, this is."

A tumult of ideas and fears rushed through my mind, I feared Bill was
close at hand, and pushing the woman back with one hand I seized the
poker with the right one. "Keep back, or I will smash you", said I
flourishing it, and again I shouted out, "Police!--police!" but not
with my head out of the window this time.

The old woman backed and shut the door again, the young one came
forwards speaking in a hurried tone, the old one dropped her voice to
a whine; she did not want to keep me if I wanted to go. "Shut the
window,--let her shut it,--give the poor girl two pounds then, and go."
Her house was a respectable house, the police knew it, why did I come to
such a house if I had no money? The girl cried, I blustered, swore, and
all three were speaking at the same time for two or three minutes.

"Let me go." "Who stops you?" said the old woman, "give me the money."
"Open the door, and go out first then." "I shan't", said the woman with
a snap and a look like a demon. I turned round, and with the poker made
a smash at the window. The curtains had swung, the white blind was down,
but I heard the glass shiver and crash, a shout of "Hulloh!" from some
one in the court. I raised the poker again against the looking-glass.
"Get out, or I'll smash this, and you, and everything else in the room",
striking a chair violently, and breaking it. I now did not care what
I did, but was determined to fight Bill, or any one else, and not be
robbed.

The women were cowed, they cried out, Pray drop the poker,--they
meant no harm,--the girl always had three pounds at least,--if I would
not,--why I would not,--they never have had such a row in the house
before,--to have her twice, and give her ten shillings was shameful. "A
lie you bloody bawd, I have only had her once, and she has had twenty
shillings." "Well, there's a good gentleman, go, and don't make a noise
as you go downstairs,--look at her, poor thing, how you have frightened
her,--she will let you have her again, if you like,--won't you
Lucy?"--"well come along then, but don't make a row,--leave the poker,
--what do you want that for?" whined the woman. I would not relinquish
the poker, they should go out first. The woman went, the girl waited
behind to put on her frock. As she did so the little bitch lifted her
petticoats to her thighs, showed her cunt, jerked her belly, winked and
nodded her head in the direction of the old woman. I di