A woman of middle age in a black bonnet, shawl and gown attempted to pass him. He stood stiffly in her way, regarding her harsh, sour visage, thin, cruel lips and pale, humid, bluish eyes. At his resolute defense her attitude weakened. "Ain’t Madam Grant to home?" she said. "No, she is not. What do you want?" "Oh, I just wanted to see her; you let me come in and wait a while—she’ll be back soon, I s’pose?" "She doesn’t allow me to let anybody in when she’s away," the boy protested. "Oh, that’s all right, Frankie; I’m a particular friend of hers. I’ll just come in and make myself to home till she comes in. I’m all winded comin’ up them steep stairs, and I’ve got to set down." "I’m sorry," the boy said more politely, "but I mustn’t let you in. I did let a lady in once, and Mamsy scolded me for it. The next day we missed a watch, too." "My sakes! Does she keep her watches in the dirt on the floor, too?" the woman said, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "You needn’t worry about me, my dear; everybody knows me, and trusts me, too. Besides, my business is important and I’ve just _got_ to see the Madam, sure." "You may wait on the stairs, if you like, but you can’t come in here. She says that the neighbors are altogether too curious." The remark was made deliberately, as if to aid his defense by its rudeness. But the woman’s skin was tough. "You’re a pert one, you be!" she sniffed. "I’d like to know what you do here all day, anyway. You ought to be to school! We’ll have to look after you, young man; they’s societies that makes a business of seeing to children that’s neglected like you, and takes ’em away where they can be taught an education and live decent." The boy’s face changed to dismay. The tears came into his eyes. "I don’t _want_ to go away, I want to live here, and I’m going to, too! Besides, I can read and write already, and I learn more things than you can learn at school. I’d just like to see them take me away!" "What do you learn, now?" said the woman insinuatingly. "Do you learn how to tell fortunes? Can you tell mine, now? I’ll give you a nickel if you will!" "I don’t want a nickel. I’ve got all the money I want!" "Oh, you have, have you? How much have you got? Say, I hear the Madam’s pretty well fixed. How much do you s’pose she’s worth, now?" "You can’t work me that way." She put forth a shaky hand to stroke his dark hair, and he warded her off. "Nor that way either!" he said, beginning to grow angry. "Say, sonny, do you ever see the spirits here?" she began again. "No, but I can smell ’em now," he replied. She burst out into a cackle of laughter. "Say, that’s pretty good! You’re a likely little feller, you be. I didn’t mean no harm, noways." "You mean that you didn’t mean any harm, don’t you?" he asked soberly. "No, I don’t mean no harm, sure I don’t! What d’you mean?" "She says one shouldn’t use double negatives." "What’s them, then?"