But he roughly repulses Mamma's extended hand. "Let up, old woman," he says, coarsely; and then, pushing her aside, he addresses the Sister: "I say, what--er--ye want--er--her for, any'ow?" The Sister turns away, and addresses herself once more to Mamma. "I cannot understand why that girl may not have proper care," she says, sternly. "If her intellect has been shattered by the use of liquor, this is not the place for her," pointing her remark by a glance at Franz and the empty bottle. "Body and soul will both be sacrificed here. I shall not let this matter rest, and if I find that you have no legal authority--" But again fury overmasters prudence. Mamma springs toward her with a yell of rage. "Ah, you cat-o'-the-world," she cries, "go home with yer pious cant! The gal's--" The words die away in a gurgle; the hand of Franz, roughly pressed against her mouth, has stopped her utterance. "Oh, get out, old woman!" he exclaims, pushing her away and steadying himself after the effort. "Ye're gittin' too familiar, ye air." Then seeing that the Sister, convinced of her inability to reason with the unreasonable, had turned to go, he cried out: "Hold on, mum; if ye want that gal, ye kin have her. _I'm_ runnin' this." "I shall not forget that poor creature," says the Sister, still addressing Mamma and ignoring Franz; "and if I find that she is not--" She leaves the sentence unfinished, for Mamma darts toward her with extended clutches, and is only restrained by Papa's stoutest efforts, aided by the hand of Franz, which once more comes forcibly in contact with the virago's mouth, just as it opens to pour forth fresh imprecations. To linger is worse than folly, and the Sister, casting a pitying glance toward the girl, who is now slowly struggling up, turns away and goes sadly out from the horrible place. CHAPTER XXVIII. FRANZ FRANCOISE BELLIGERENT. After the departure of the Sister of Mercy, an unnatural silence brooded over the room; a silence, not a stillness, for Mamma Francoise, uttering no word, dragged the unfortunate Nance to one of the pallets, forced the remainder of the warm liquor down her throat, and then pushed her back upon the pallet, where she lay a dirty, moveless, stupid heap of wretched humanity. Then Mamma seated herself upon the one unoccupied stool, and glared alternately at the two men. Papa Francoise was evidently both disturbed and alarmed at this visit from the Sister of Mercy, and he seemed intent upon solving some new problem propounded to him by the scene just ended.