"There, there, dearie," tucking the cloak round her feet. "Lift up the piller, my 'ands are that mucky. Will yer 'ave anythin'?" She shook her head. "It's gone," she muttered. "Now--tell me." "Tell yer?--tell yer what! Why--why--there ain't jest nothin' to tell yer." "What were they saying? Quick." "I didn't 'ear nothin'. They was talking about some ballet-woman." The girl began to cry, feebly, helplessly, like a child in pain. "You might tell me, Liz. You might tell me. I've been a good sort to you." "That yer 'ave. I knows yer 'ave, dearie. There, there, don't yer take on like that. Yer'll only make yerself bad again." "Tell me--tell me," she wailed. "I've been a good sort to you, Liz." "Well, they wasn't talkin' of no ballet-woman--that's straight," the woman blurted out savagely. "What did he say?--tell me." Her voice was weaker now. "I can't tell yer--don't yer ask me--for God's sake, don't yer ask me." With a low crooning the girl cried again. "Oh! for God's sake, don't yer take on like that--it's awful--I can't stand it. There, dearie, stop that cryin' an' I'll tell yer--I will indeed. It was jest this way--I slips my shoes off, an' I goes down as careful--jest as careful as a cat--an' when I gets to the door I crouches myself down, listenin' as 'ard as ever I could. The first things as I 'ears was Mr. Dick speakin' thick-like--like as if 'ee'd bin drinkin'--an t'other chap 'ee says somethin' about lungs, using some long word--I missed that--there was a van or somethin' rackettin' on the road. Then 'ee says 'gallopin', gallopin',' jest like as 'ee was talkin' of a 'orse. An' Mr. Dick, 'ee says, 'ain't there no chance--no'ow?' and 'ee give a sort of a grunt. I was awful sorry for 'im, that I was, 'ee must 'ave been crool bad, 'ee's mostly so quiet-like, ain't 'ee? An', in a minute, ee sort o' groans out somethin', an' t'other chap 'es answer 'im quite cool-like, that 'ee don't properly know; but, anyways, it 'ud be over afore the end of February. There I've done it. Oh! dearie, it's awful, awful, that's jest what it is. An' I 'ad no intention to tell yer--not a blessed word--that I didn't--may God strike me blind if I did! Some'ow it all come out, seein' yer chokin' that 'ard an' feelin' at the wall there. Yer 'ad no right to ask me to do it--'ow was I to know 'ee was a doctor?" She put the two corners of her apron to her eyes, gurgling loudly. "Look 'ere, don't yer b'lieve a word of it--I don't--I tell yer they're a 'umbuggin' lot, them doctors, all together. I know it. Yer take my word for that--yer'll git all right again. Yer'll be as well as I am, afore yer've done--Oh, Lord!--it's jest awful--I feel that upset--I'd like to cut my tongue out, for 'avin' told yer--but I jest couldn't 'elp myself." She was retreating towards the door, wiping her eyes, and snorting out loud sobs--"An', don't you offer me that half quid--I couldn't take it of yer--that I couldn't." * * * * *