was
information.

"What does the Painted Lady do," he asked, "when she thinks she hears
the horse?"

"She blows kisses, and then--then she goes to the Den."

"What to do?"

"She walks up and down the Den, talking to the man."

"And him no there?" cried Tommy, scared.

"No, there is no one there."

"And syne what do you do?"

"I won't tell you."

Tommy reflected, and then he said, "She's daft."

"She is not always daft," cried Grizel. "There are whole weeks when she
is just sweet."

"Then what do you make of her being so queer in the Den?"

"I am not sure, but I think--I think there was once a place like the Den
at her own home in England, where she used to meet the man long ago,
and sometimes she forgets that it is not long ago now."

"I wonder wha the man was?"

"I think he was my father."

"I thought you didna ken what a father was?"

"I know now. I think my father was a Scotsman."

"What makes you think that?"

"I heard a Thrums woman say it would account for my being called Grizel,
and I think we came to Scotland to look for him, but it is so long, long
ago."

"How long?"

"I don't know. We have lived here four years, but we were looking for
him before that. It was not in this part of Scotland we looked for him.
We gave up looking for him before we came here."

"What made the Painted Lady take a house here, then?"

"I think it was because the Den is so like the place she used to meet
him in long ago."

"What was his name?"

"I don't know."

"Does the Painted Lady no tell you about yoursel'?"

"No, she is angry if I ask."

"Her name is Mary, I've heard?"

"Mary Gray is her name, but--but I don't think it is her real name."

"How, does she no use her real name?"

"Because she wants her own mamma to think she is dead."

"What makes her want that?"

"I am not sure, but I think it is because there is me. I think it was
naughty of me to be born. Can you help being born?"

Tommy would have liked to tell her about Reddy, but forbore, because he
still believed that he had acted criminally in that affair, and so for
the time being the inquisition ended. But though he had already
discovered all that Grizel knew about her mother and nearly all that
curious Thrums ever ferreted out, he returned to the subject at the next
meeting in the Den.

"Where does the Painted Lady get her money?"

"Oh," said Grizel, "that is easy. She just goes into that house called
the bank, and asks for