does it mane? Where are ye goin'?"

"Go to your room!" said Ethel, livid with anger, and trying to keep her
voice down and to hush Peg in case her family were awakened.

"Do you mean to say you were going with--"

Ethel covered Peg's mouth with her hand.

"Keep down your voice, you little fool!"

Peg freed herself. HER temper was up, too. The thought of WHY Ethel was
there was uppermost in her mind as she cried:

"HE was here a minnit ago an' Mr. Jerry took him away."

"HE?" said Ethel, frightenedly. "Mr. BRENT," answered Peg.

Ethel went quickly to the windows. Peg sprang in front of her and
caught her by the wrists. "Were ye goin' away with him? Were ye?"

"Take your hands off me."

"Were ye goin' away with him? Answer me?" insisted Peg.

"Yes," replied Ethel vehemently. "And I AM."

"No ye're not," said the indomitable Peg holding her firmly by the
wrist.

"Let me go!" whispered Ethel, struggling to release herself.

"Ye're not goin' out o' this house to-night if I have to wake everyone
in it."

"Wake them!" cried Ethel. "Wake them. They couldn't stop me. Nothing
can stop me now. I'm sick of this living on CHARITY; sick of meeting
YOU day by day, an implied insult in your every look and word, as much
as to say: 'I'M giving you your daily bread; I'M keeping the roof over
you!' I'm sick of it. And I end it to-night. Let me go or I'll--I'll--"
and she tried in vain to release herself from Peg's grip.

Peg held her resolutely:

"What d'ye mane by INSULT? An' yer DAILY BREAD? An' kapin' the roof
over ye? What are ye ravin' about at all?"

"I'm at the end--to-night. I'm going!" and she struggled with Peg up to
the windows. But Peg did not loose her hold. It was firmer than before.

"You're not goin' away with him, I tell ye. Ye're NOT. What d'ye
suppose ye'd be goin' to? I'll tell ye. A wakin' an' sleepin'
HELL--that's what it would be."

"I'm going," said the distracted girl.

"Ye'd take him from his wife an' her baby?"

"He hates THEM! and I hate THIS! I tell you I'm going--"

"So ye'd break yer mother's heart an' his wife's just to satisfy yer
own selfish pleasure? Well I'm glad _I_ sinned to-night in doin' what I
wanted to do since it's given me the chance to save YOU from doin' the
most shameful thing a woman ever did!"

"Will you--" and Ethel again struggled to get free.

"YOU'LL stay here and HE'LL go back to his home if I have to tell
everyone and disgrace yez both."

Ethel cowered