Page:Gissing - The Nether World, vol. I, 1889.djvu/31

 "Yes, miss; I did the front-room fireplace, an' fetched fourteen of coals, an' washed out a few things."

"What did she give you?"

"A penny, miss. I gave it to Mrs. Peckover before she went."

"Oh, you did? Well, look 'ere; you'll just remember in future that all you get from the lodgers belongs to me, an' not to mother. It's a new arrangement, understand. An' if you dare to give up a 'apenny to mother, I'll lick you till you're nothin' but a bag o' bones. Understand?"

Having on the spur of the moment devised this ingenious difficulty for the child, who was sure to suffer in many ways from such a conflict of authorities, Clem began to consider how she should spend her evening. After all, Jane was too poor-spirited a victim to afford long entertainment. Clem would have liked dealing with some one who showed fight—some one with whom she could try savage issue in real tooth-and-claw conflict. She had in mind a really exquisite piece