her day of misery. The blow that had stunned
her had become as a loud intrusive pulse in her head. By this new
daylight she fathomed the depth, and reckoned the value, of her loss. And
her senses had no pleasure in the light, though there was sunshine. The
woman who was her hostess was kind, but full of her first surprise at the
strange visit, and too openly ready for any information the young lady
might be willing to give with regard to her condition, prospects, and
wishes. Emilia gave none. She took the woman's hand, asking permission to
remain under her protection. The woman by-and-by named a sum of money as
a sum for weekly payment, and Emilia transferred all to her that she had.
The policeman and his wife thought her, though reasonable, a trifle
insane. She sat at a window for hours watching a 'last man' of the fly
species walking up and plunging down a pane of glass. On this transparent
solitary field for the most objectless enterprise ever undertaken, he
buzzed angrily at times, as if he had another meaning in him, which was
being wilfully misinterpreted. Then he mounted again at his leisure, to
pitch backward as before. Emilia found herself thinking with great
seriousness that it was not wonderful for boys to be always teasing and
killing flies, whose thin necks and bobbing heads themselves suggested
the idea of decapitation. She said to her hostess: "I don't like flies.
They seem never to sing but when they are bothered." The woman replied:
"Ah, indeed?" very smoothly, and thought: "If you was to bust out now,
which of us two would be strongest?" Emilia grew distantly aware that the
policeman and his wife talked of her and watched her with combined
observation.

When it was night she went to keep her appointment. The girl was there,
but the boy came late. He said he had earned only a few pence that day,
and would be beaten. He spoke in a whimpering tone which caused the girl
to desire a translation of his words. Emilia told her how things were
with him, and the girl expressed a wish that she had an organ, as in that
case she would be sure to earn more than sixpence a day; such being the
amount that procured her nightly a comfortable reception in the arms of
her parents. "Do you like music?" said Emilia. The girl replied that she
liked organs; but, as if to avoid committing an injustice, cited parrots
as foremost in her affections. Holding them both to her breast, Emilia
thought that she would rescue them from t