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.'
The bobby on hour beat, 'e told me, an' Hi 'yn't fergot a mite. T,
haych, he, hay, t, r, he, spells 'show.' 'E told me that, too. Hi
'yn't one as would _st'y_ hignorant, Hi 'yn't."

"Fer Gawd's sake!" said the officer, entirely nonplussed by this
display of the girl's erudition. "Say--well--now--come here, Bill!" He
beckoned to another man in blue and shiny buttons. "Spell them words
ag'in, Miss, won't you?" he implored.

Anna looked at him reproachfully. "No, no," she said, and made him