“I know you. Yes, yes! I know you well enough now, Jane Kelly. Your time in State’s Prison is up, and you’ve come here to insult me on my sick-bed. That’s brave of you now, isn’t it?—mighty brave!” “I came here because I had no other home to go to, and because you owe me money that I will have: and I owe you punishment for all the wickedness you have heaped on me, which you are sure to get. It’s settling-day between us.” “What do you want? What do you mean? I don’t owe you anything. I never did anything against you, Jane Kelly, never in my whole life. On the contrary, I always liked you, and when that impertinent policeman would take you up, and the judge insisted on sentencing you, I did my best to buy you off. It was all because you wouldn’t do all that we bargained for, that you fell into trouble. But you are a good-hearted creature, Jane, and won’t bear malice against a poor, harmless old woman for what she couldn’t help. Come, take off your bonnet, Jane, and find a chair. I’m so glad you came.” Jane took off her bonnet, and revealed a crop of short, black hair, which she shook at the old woman with a malignant laugh. “This is your doings!” she said, threading the thick locks fiercely with her fingers. “It was a yard and a quarter long when you swore it off my head. Well, never mind, every dog has its day, and mine is coming round with a sharp turn. Before this gets to its length again, you’ll be six feet under ground, or where I just came from.” “Hush, now do hush,” pleaded the old woman, with a feeble attempt at her old cajoling tone. “Don’t talk about being six feet under ground. I’m only a little weak, you know, and grieved at the ingratitude of the world. Just look there, Jane Kelly, my dear old friend; look at Peg; I would have staked anything on the faithfulness of that cat; but ever since I’ve been sick she’s never been near my bed, but goes off mousing and stealing for herself, just as if I wasn’t here and couldn’t be hungry, I, who taught her the difference between cooked birds right from the restaurant and live mice. Would you believe it, ever since I’ve been unable to help myself, she’s done nothing but catch mice.” There the old woman’s passion threw her into a coughing-fit, but the moment it was over, she began again.