“Haven’t got them with me,” said Jane, folding the cloak more closely around her, with real fear that the witch-like woman would tear them from her bosom, if she knew that they were about her person. “But you will bring them?—say to-morrow night.” Jane Kelly laughed, and looking into the eyes of the eager woman, muttered,— “Nothing for nothing.” “I—I will give you the—that is, a hundred dollars for the paper,” urged the woman, still working her fingers eagerly. “To-night?” “Well, yes, if you give up the paper; but then for cash down there’ll be a discount,—say fifty dollars. Times are very hard.” “Not a cent less than the full hundred,” answered the nurse resolutely. Madame De Marke sat restlessly in her chair. The idea of parting with so much money was absolute torture. A hundred dollars! Why, she did not spend more than half that sum on herself during a whole year; and for that insolent wretch to ask so much for a single scrap of paper! the very thought enraged her. “Say seventy-five now,” she pleaded, in a wheedling tone, weaving her fingers softly together. “I don’t want to sell the paper. If the girl gets well, as I mean she shall, it’ll be worth more than a hundred dollars to her.” “But she has no money.” “Well, I can afford to do without money when a kind act is to be done. The city government always gives me a home and work when I want them.” “Take seventy-five.” “Well, say seventy-five for the paper, and a hundred for the baby.” “The baby again!” snarled Madame De Marke, “it’s dead of its own accord. I won’t pay a sous for it—not a sous!” Jane Kelly hesitated a moment, looked around the room as if afraid of being overheard, and then leaning forward, whispered a few words in Madame De Marke’s ear. “I—I’ll give you the money. Seventy-five dollars down, one hundred when—when it’s all set right.” “It’s all set right now.” “Very well, very well, you are a noble girl, Jane. Jane, what is the name?” “Kelly—Jane Kelly.” “You’re a noble girl, Jane Kelly. I’d trust you with untold gold. No, not gold, there is something very tempting in gold, too tempting for human nature; but I’d trust you with silver untold, silver or bank-notes, if I only had them about me. But the times are so hard. Say fifty dollars down, all in solid silver; it’ll make your heart jump to hear the dollars fall upon each other. I tell you it’s enough to break one’s heart when such music goes the other way. Now you will take the fifty, that’s a dear good soul.” Jane shook her head stubbornly. “Now consider how much money is worth just now; fifty dollars is worth a hundred at any other time.” Jane Kelly arose and prepared to go. Bad as she was, this woman’s clinging avarice disgusted her. “Well, well, if you will be so hard-hearted, I must try and raise the money, though how it is to be done I can’t begin to tell. Wait a minute. Just step out into the passage, that’s a nice girl.”