it left out, in fact, all the compensations. But luckily I have found
the compensations for myself; I just had to find something. Men and
women have given me everything that such as I could expect. I have never
met with reasonless enmity, never met with meanness, never met with
anything more unbearable than natural indifference, from any man or
woman. I have been, I may say, a burden and a bore all over the world; I
have been an ill and fretful stranger within all men's gates; I have
asked much and given nothing; I have never been a friend. Nobody has
ever expected any return from me, yet nothing was grudged. Landladies,
policemen, chorus girls, social bounders, prostitutes, the natural
enemies, one would say, of such as I, have given me kindness, and often
much that they could not easily spare, and always amusement and
distraction...."

"Ah, how you interest and excite me," said the witch, whose attention
had been frankly wandering. "You are exactly the sort of person we want
in this house."

"But--ill?" said Sarah Brown pessimistically. "Oh, witch, I have been so
wearisome to every one, so constantly ill. The first thing I get to know
about a new hostess or a landlady is always the colour of her
dressing-gown by candlelight, or whether she has one."

"Illnesses are never bad here," said the witch. "I bet you twopence I've
got something in the shop that would make you well. Three fingers of
happiness, neat and hot, at night--"

"But, witch--oh, witch--this is the worst of all. My ears are failing
me--I think I am going deaf...."