Franz leered and lounged, with seeming indifference to all his surroundings. His recent potations were evidently taking effect, for after a few moments, during which he made very visible efforts to look alert, and interested in the discussion which, as he seemed vaguely to realize, was impending, he brought himself unsteadily to his feet, staggered across the room, and flinging himself upon the unoccupied pallet, muttered some incoherent words and subsided into stillness and slumber. The eyes of the old woman followed his movements with anxious interest, and when he seemed at last lost to all ordinary sound, she arose and carried her stool across to where Papa, leaning against the table, still meditated. "Sit down," she said, in low, peremptory tones, and pushing the stool lately vacated by Franz toward her spouse; "sit down. We're in a pretty mess, ain't we?" Papa seated himself and favored her with a vacant stare. "Eh!" he said, absently; "what's to be done?" Mamma cast a quick look toward her recumbent Prodigal, and leaned forward until her lips touched the old man's ear. "Mind this," she hissed; "_he_ ain't to know too much. He's got the devil in him; it won't do to put ourselves under his thumb." "Don't you worry," retorted Papa, in the same sharp whisper, "I ain't anxious to be rode by the two of ye; Franzy's too much like his ma. It won't do to let him know everything." Mamma gave a derisive sniff, a sort of acknowledgment of the compliment--one of the only kind ever paid her by her worser half,--and then said: "Franzy'll be a big help to us, if we can keep him away from the cops. But you an' me has planned too long to let him step in now an' take things out of our hands. He's too reckless; we wouldn't move fast enough to suit him, an'--he'd make us trouble." "Yes," assented the old man, "he'd have things his own way, or he'd make us trouble; he always did." Mamma arose, stirred the smouldering fire, and resuming her seat, began afresh: "Now, then, we've got to decide about that gal. She can't go to no hospital?" "No; she can't." "And she can't stay with us. It was a big risk before; now that Franzy is back, it's a bigger risk." "That's so." Papa wrinkled his brows for a moment and then said: "See here, old woman, Franz'll be bound ter know something about that gal when he gits his head clear." "I s'pose so." "Well, s'pose we tell him about her." "What for?" "Ter satisfy him, an' ter git his help." "His help?" muttered Mamma. "That might do." Suddenly Papa lifted a warning finger. "Hush," he whispered; "there's somebody outside o' that door." A low, firm knock put a period to his sentence. Mamma made a sign which meant caution, and then creeping noiselessly to the door, listened. No sound could be heard from without, and after another moment of waiting she called sharply: "Who's there?" "Open de do'; I's got a message fo' yo'."