"Cake, stove, smoke, tub, wash-board, scrub, rag, tub, stove, ashes."

"Keep it up!"

"I dunno no more."

"We can't get beyond ashes, eh?" said the lady. "Now suppose you tell me
what the following words mean. Charity?"

"Is it a organization?" asked Nance doubtfully.

"Justice?"

"I dunno that one."

"Do you know what God is?"

Nance felt that she was doing badly. If her freedom depended on her
passing this test, she knew the prison bars must be already closing on
her. She no more knew what God is than you or I know, but the spectacled
lady must be answered at any cost.

"God," she said laboriously, "God is what made us, and a cuss word."

Many more questions followed before she was sent back to her place
between Uncle Jed and Mrs. Snawdor, and Dan was led away in turn to
receive his test.

Meanwhile Uncle Jed was getting restless. Again and again he consulted
his large nickel-plated watch.