s in the hospital.)
What's your Parish?'

'Parish!' She was up from the truckle-bed directly, wildly feeling about
her for her basket, and gazing at him in affright.

'You'll be asked the question down town,' said the man. 'They won't let
you be more than a Casual there. They'll pass you on to your settlement,
Missis, with all speed. You're not in a state to be let come upon
strange parishes 'ceptin as a Casual.'

''Twas the deadness again!' murmured Betty Higden, with her hand to her
head.

'It was the deadness, there's not a doubt about it,' returned the man.
'I should have thought the deadness was a mild word for it, if it had
been named to me when we brought you in. Have you got any friends,
Missis?'

'The best of friends, Master.'

'I should recommend your looking 'em up if you consider 'em game to do
anything for you,' said the Deputy Lock. 'Have you got any money?'

'Just a morsel of money, sir.'

'Do you want to keep it?'

'Sure I do!'

'Well, you know,' said the Deputy Lock, shrugging his shoulders with his
hands in his pockets, and shaking his head in a sulkily ominous manner,
'the parish authorities down town will have it out of you, if you go on,
you may take your Alfred David.'

'Then I'll not go on.'

'They'll make you pay, as fur as your money will go,' pursued the
Deputy, 'for your relief as a Casual and for your being passed to your
Parish.'

'Thank ye kindly, Master, for your warning, thank ye for your shelter,
and good night.'

'Stop a bit,' said the Deputy, striking in between her and the door.
'Why are you all of a shake, and what's your hurry, Missis?'

'Oh, Master, Master,' returned Betty Higden, I've fought against the
Parish and fled from it, all my life, and I want to die free of it!'

'I don't know,' said the Deputy, with deliberation, 'as I ought to let
you go. I'm a honest man as gets my living by the sweat of my brow, and
I may fall into trouble by letting you go. I've fell into trouble afore
now, by George, and I know what it is, and it's made me careful. You
might be took with your deadness again, half a mile off--or half of half
a quarter, for the matter of that--and then it would be asked, Why did
that there honest Deputy Lock, let her go, instead of putting her safe
with the Parish? That's what a man of his character ought to have done,
it would be argueyfied,' said the Deputy Lock, cunningly harping on the
strong string of her terror; 'he ought to have handed her