"'Is old Keene varden of the penitentiary now?' "'Tell me, now, what you did with the dogs.' "'I took 'em to the dog pound.' "'What did you do with them there?' "'Vy, doesn't they muzzle cats the same as dogs?' "'Look here, Thomas, you must answer my question without equivocation. I want to understand the details of this dog-business. What did you do with them at the dog-pound?' "'For hevery dog as ve takes to the pound ve gets an 'arf a slum.' "'Then it seems you caught your dogs in New Jersey, brought them to the New York dog-pound, and claimed for your philanthropic exertions the reward of a half a dollar, offered by ordinance for every dog caught within the limits of New York?' "'Vell, if you'd been born into the perwession, you couldn't have understood its vays better.' "'You are a sweet subject, certainly.' "'Des'say.' "'Are you not ashamed of yourself, to be found lying drunk in door-ways?' "'B'lieve so.' "'Are you not certain you are?' "'Prob'bly.' "'Did you drink liquor to-night?' "'P'r'aps.' "'Where did you get it?' "'Dun'no.' "'What kind was it?' "'I halvays 'ad a passion for gin.' "'Was it gin you drank to-night?' "'Des'say.' "'Are you not sure that it was?' "'Mebbee.' "'How often do you drink?' "'Honly ven I've got the blunt to pay. Dutchmen vont trust now.' "'Did you have any money to-night?' "'Likely.' "'How did you get it?' "''Oldin' an 'orse for a cove.' "'How much did you get for that?' "'A shillin.' "'With that you bought gin?' "'Prob'bly.' "'And got drunk?' "'Poss'bly.' "'Thomas, where do you live?' "'Noveres, in p'tickler.' "'Where do you eat?' "'Vere the wittles is.' "'Where do you sleep?' "'Anyveres, so that the M.P.s can't nab me.' "'You ought to be sent to Blackwell's Island as a vagrant.' "'Des'say.' "'You've been there, have you not?' "'Mebbee.' "'Don't you know whether you've been there or not?' "'P'r'aps.' "'Are you certain of anything?' "'Dun'no.' "'Now, Thomas,' said I, in conclusion, 'I am going to let you off this time, but I hope you will keep sober in the future. Now, here is a quarter for you, to pay for your lodging to-night.' "Thomas, the non-committalist, accepted the silver. "I concluded to ask him one more question, in hopes to get a direct and positive answer. "'Will you use that money to pay for a bed?' I asked. "'Des'say,' said he, upon which I vamosed."