She had seated herself on a low chair, and drew her little brothers in front of her. They looked at her with their impudent and bright eyes. "The Cap'n says," began Nat, glancing in his eager, quick, bird-like way at his brother--"the Cap'n says--" But Bet put her hand across the eager little mouth. "Never mind what Thady says now, Nat; we'll have plenty of time to go into that by-and-bye. Now we have a deal to do, and very little time to do it in. But first you two boys ha' got to give me a promise." "Promises is like pie-crusts," said the Cap'n, drawing himself up to his full tiny height, "I don't mind, nor do the Gen'ral there. Promises is made to be broke." Bet shook the little speaker impatiently. "Look here, boys, there's no one loves you two, but me; and I do--yes, I do--with all my heart. There, boys, don't strangle me," for they both fell upon her, covering her face and neck and lips with childish, most affectionate kisses. "Hurrah for Bet! There, Bet--we'll make no pie-crust promises to you. We'll promise, and we'll keep our words. We'd die afore we broke 'em!" concluded the Cap'n, stamping his small newly-shod foot with great effect on the floor. "There's no one loves you but me," continued Bet. "Mother did, but she's with God--that is ef--ef--oh, yes, mother's with God. He's keeping her comfortable now, and she have forgot us all. Mother's no good from this out; and father--you know what father is, boys. Look me in the face--you know what father is." It took a great deal to quench the spirit of the audacious Granger twins, but they looked subdued now. Their thin little faces grew a shade whiter. The two pairs of eyes gave a rapid glance towards the door, and the little figures pressed closer to Bet as if for protection. "You know, and so do I," she continued, putting her strong arm round them with a most protecting gesture; "and so--and so--boys, I'm going to take you away from father. And the only thing you ha' got to obey me in is when I say 'hide!' you are to hide; and when I ha' to lock you up, as I may have to do now and then, you won't play no larks on me, nor try to get away." "No--no!" they both vociferated eagerly. "We promise, we promise true. Hurrah for Bet--the best gel in Liverpool!" "That'll do; now let's pack. We must be out of this room in ten minutes." The three flew about, Bet putting her own small possessions and the boys' scanty wardrobe into an old shawl of her mother's. It took far less than ten minutes to make a bundle of the poor possessions. At the last moment Bet went over to the bed, laid her head face downwards on her mother's pillow, and reverently kissed the place where the dead cold head had rested. "That's a seal to my promise," she whispered; and then, slinging the bundle across her shoulder, she again took the boys' hands and went downstairs. At the entrance to the house she met her landlord, a man of the name of Bounce.