rospective children by adoption. Anna, alarmed for both the
threatened child and angry flute-player, stood, woefully distressed
between the two, a hand upon the arm of each and big, alarmed and
wondrously appealing eyes fixed on the gruff official, who stirred
uneasily beneath the power of their petition; Kreutzer was frightened,
also, now that his wrath was passing and he took time to reflect that
if he should involve himself with this new government inquiries would
certainly be started which would result in the revelation of his
whereabouts to those whom he had hoped utterly to evade; M'riar, the
cause of all the trouble, wept like a Niobe, quite soundlessly,
shaking like an aspen, managing to maintain her weight upon her
weakening knees with desperate effort only.

"Sorry, Miss," said the official, with gruff kindness. "But law's law,
you know, and she's against it."

"Little M'riarrr is against your laws?" said Anna, much surprised.

"She's likely to become a public charge," the man said, anxious to
defend himself and his government before the lovely girl. "We've got
enough of European paupers to support, here in this country, now."

"But she would live with us," said Anna.

"Sure--until you fired her," said the man with a short laugh.

"Firrred her?" Anna said, inquiringly, not guessing at his meaning.
"Firrred her? We should be very kind to her. We would not burn her,
hurt her in the slightes' way. I promise, sir; I promise."

The official laughed again. "Oh, that's all right, Miss," he
explained. "I know you wouldn't hurt her. That ain't what I meant. I
meant until you let her go, discharged her, turned her off, decided
that you didn't need her help around the house, found somebody who'd
work better for you for less money, or something of that sort. She'd
never get another job. She's too skinny and too ignorant."

"Hi'll fat up, 'ere, Hi swears Hi will," Maria interrupted hopefully.
"Hi'm _certain_ to fat up."

"Yes, yes," said Anna, "I am certain that she will be very fat. She
will not have so much to do and will have much to eat. She shall fat
up at once." She spoke with honest earnestness. Could leanness be
against the law, too, here?

And M'riar, also, had understood exactly what he meant when he had
said she was too ignorant. "An' Hi'm that quick to learn!" she said.
"You cawn't himagine! W'y, 'yn't Hi halmost learnt me letters off
from bundle carts an' 'oardings? M, he, hay, t--that spells 'beef.