wantit.'
'Iwasjustfeelin'ratherfaint,an'Icouldn't'elpthinkin'as'owtwopennethofwhisky'uddomegood.'
'Na,Mrs.Kemp,'saidMrs.Hodges,earnestly,puttingherhandontheother'sarm.'Youtikemytip—whenyou'requeerthere'snothin'likebrandyforpullin'yertogither.Idon'tobjecttowhiskymyself,butasamedicineyercan'tbeatbrandy.'
'Well,Iwon'tsetupmyselfasknowin'betterthanyouMrs.'OdgesI'lldowotyouthinkright.'
Quiteaccidentallytherewassomeintheroom,andMrs.Kemppoureditoutforherselfandherfriend.
'I'mnotinthe'abitoftikin'anythin'whenI'mahtonbusiness,'sheapologized,'butjustterkeepyoucompanyIdon'tmindifIdo.'
'Your'ealth.Mrs.'Odges.'
'Simeteryou,an'thankyer,Mrs.Kemp.'
Lizalaystill,breathingveryquietly,hereyesclosed.Thedoctorkepthisfingersonherpulse.
'I'vebeenveryunfortunateoflite,'remarkedMrs.Hodges,asshelickedherlips,'thismikestheseconddeathI've'adinthelasttendays—women,Imean,ofcourseIdon'tcountbibies.'
'Yerdon'tsyso.'
'Ofcoursetheotherone—well,shewasonlyaprostitute,soitdidn'tsomuchmatter.Itain'tlikeanotherwomanisit?'
'Na,you'reright.'
'Still,onedon'tlike'emterdie,eveniftheyarethet.Onemustn'tbetoo'ardon'em.'
'Strikesmeyou'vegotaverykind'eart,Mrs.'Odges,'saidMrs.Kemp.
'I'avethetan'Ioftensaysit'udbebetterformypeaceofmindan'mybusinessifI'adn't.I'avetergothroughalot,IdobutIcansaythisformyself,Ialwaysgivessatisfaction,an'thet'ssomethin'asalllidiesinmylinecan'tsay.'
Theysippedtheirbrandyforawhile.
'It'sagreattrialtermethatthisshould'ave'appened,'saidMrs.Kemp,comingtothesubjectthathadbeendisturbingherforsometime.'Mine'salwaysbeenaveryrespectablefamily,an'suchathingasthis'asnever'appenedbefore.No,Mrs.'Odges,Iwaslawfullymarriedinchurch,an'I'vegotmymarriagelinesnowtershowIwas,an'thetoneofmydaughtersshould'avegonewronginthisway—well,Ican'tunderstandit.Igive'eragoodeducation,an'she'adallthecomfortsofa'ome.Sheneverwantedfornothin'Iworked