nds on their way to the
rag-bag. In spite of the huge bedroom suite with its streaked and
speckled mirrors, the room seemed half furnished.

For a moment Clara was puzzled, and then her quick, feminine eye noted
a complete absence of the common knick-knacks and trifles that indicate
the refinement or vulgarity of the owner. She remembered that Jonah
had told her that Ada pawned everything she could lay hands on since he
stopped her allowance. But she was more surprised at the change in Ada
herself. Months ago Ada had begun to avoid her, ashamed of her slovenly
looks, and now Clara scarcely recognized her. Her eyes were sunken,
her cheeks had fallen in, and a bluish pallor gave her the look of one
recovering from a long illness. The room had not been aired, and the
accumulated odours of the night turned Clara sick. She was thinking of
some excuse to get away when Ada began to speak with a curious whine,
quite unlike her old manner.

"I'm ashamed ter ask yer in, Miss Grimes, the room's in such a state;
but I've been very ill, with no one ter talk to fer days past. Not
that I'm ter blame. I 'ope it's niver your lot to 'ave a 'usband with
thousan's in the bank, an' too mean ter keep a servant. 'Ere am I from
mornin' ter night, slavin' an' drudgin', an' me with a leg that bad I
can 'ardly stand on it. I'll just show yer wot state I'm in. It's
breakin' out all over. Me blood's that bad fer want of proper food an'
nourishment." She began to unfasten a dirty bandage below her knee.
Clara turned her head in disgust. The flesh was covered with ulcerated
sores.

"I don't know 'ow you find 'im, Miss Grimes," she continued, her voice
rising in anger, "but if yer believe me, a meaner man niver walked the
earth. I've 'ad ter pawn the things in this very room ter pay the
baker an' the grocer. That's 'ow 'e makes 'is money. Starvin' 'is own
wife ter squeeze a few shillin's for 'is bankin' account. 'E knows I
can't go outside the door, 'cause I've got nuthin' ter put on; but 'e
takes jolly good care ter go down town an' live on the fat of the land."

From the next room came the fitful, awkward sounds of a five-finger
exercise from Ray. Clara listened with silent contempt to this torrent
of abuse. She knew that it was false that the more Jonah gave her, the
more she spent on drink. And as she looked at Ada's face, ravaged by
alcohol, a stealthy thought crept into her mind that set her heart
beating. Suddenly Ada's an