Elinor answered politely. The woman studied them carefully. Elinor
was a child whose beauty was always remarked wherever she went, and the
little Rika was equally lovely. They had been used to kindness and
attention from everyone, so when the woman took out a queer little box,
and offered them each a funny little black candy, they accepted them
quite as a matter of course. Then she drew back, and the children
turned to their dolls again. But only for a moment. Then the head of
golden curls and the long, black ringlets drooped and the drugged
children were asleep. The woman shook two big sacks out from beneath
her dress, and as coolly and as cruelly as though she was filling them
with straw, she shoved a child in either bag, crossed to the curb with
her heavy burden, and sat down to wait.

When her two accomplices joined her, they went rapidly to the hovel
where Warren had tracked them hater, and releasing the half smothered
and unconscious children, they laid them down on a pile of rags, and
sat looking at them, while they ate their evening portion of black
bread and cold fish.

There was a great discussion. The larger man, Michael, was in favor of
offering the children for a ransom. The others would not consider it
at all.

"Remember," said Martha, the woman, "there is much danger in collecting
such fees. Rather will I prepare these little ladies for the trade of
beggars. So beautiful are they that I can go through every capital in
Europe, if so Europe still stands."

"Have it your own way," said the smaller man, Patro by name.