y are bothered." The woman replied: "Ah, indeed?" very smoothly,
and thought: "If you was to bust out now, which of us two would be
strongest?" Emilia grew distantly aware that the policeman and his wife
talked of her and watched her with combined observation.

When it was night she went to keep her appointment. The girl was there,
but the boy came late. He said he had earned only a few pence that day,
and would be beaten. He spoke in a whimpering tone which caused the girl
to desire a translation of his words. Emilia told her how things were
with him, and the girl expressed a wish that she had an organ, as in
that case she would be sure to earn more than sixpence a day; such being
the amount that procured her nightly a comfortable reception in the arms
of her parents. "Do you like music?" said Emilia. The girl replied that
she liked organs; but, as if to avoid committing an injustice, cited
parrots as foremost in her affections. Holding them both to her breast,
Emilia thought that she would rescue them from this beating by giving
them the money they had to offer for kindness: but the restlessness of
the children suddenly made her a third party to the thought of
cakes. She had no money. Her heart bled for the poor little hungry,
apprehensive creatures. For a moment she half fancied she had her voice,
and looked up at the windows of the pitiless houses with a bold look;
but there was a speedy mockery of her thought "You shall listen: you
shall open!" She coughed hoarsely, and then fell into fits of crying.
Her friend the policeman came by and took her arm with a force that he
meant to be persuasive; so lifting her and handing her some steps beyond
the limit of his beat, with stern directions for her to proceed home
immediately. She obeyed. Next day she asked her hostess to lend her
half-a-crown. The woman snapped shortly in answer: "No; the less you
have the better." Emilia was obliged to abandon her little people.

She was to this extent the creature of mania: that she could not
conceive of a way being open by which she might return to her father and
mother, or any of her friends. It was to her not a matter for her
will to decide upon, but simply a black door shut that nothing could
displace. When the week, for which term of shelter she had paid, was
ended, her hostess spoke upon this point, saying, more to convince
Emilia of the necessity for seeking her friends than from any
unkindness: "Me and my husband can't go on