Her white hair was
unbound, and hung in tangled masses over her shoulders in snowy
profusion. Her face, parched and wrinkled, with the hooked nose, and
beady black eyes, like those of a mouse, was poked forward, and her
skinny arms, bare to the shoulder, were waving wildly about as she
grasped at the bedclothes with her claw-like hands. The square bottle
and the broken cup lay beside her, and filling herself a dram, she
lapped it up greedily.
The irritant brought on a paroxysm of coughing which lasted until the
elfish child shook her well, and took the cup from her.
"Greedy old beast," muttered this amiable infant, peering into the cup,
"ye'd drink the Yarrer dry, I b'lieve."
"Yah!" muttered the old woman feebly. "Who's they, Lizer?" she said,
shading her eyes with one trembling hand, while she looked at Calton
and the detective.
"The perlice cove an' the swell," said Lizer, suddenly. "Come to see
yer turn up your toes."
"I ain't dead yet, ye whelp," snarled the hag with sudden energy; "an'
if I gits up I'll turn up yer toes, cuss ye."
Lizer gave a shrill laugh of disdain, and Kilsip stepped forward.
"None of this," he said, sharply, taking Lizer by one thin shoulder,
and pushing her over to where the other girl was crouching; "stop there
till I tell you to move."
Lizer tossed back her tangled black hair, and was about to make
some impudent reply, when the other girl, who was older and wiser, put
out her hand, and pulled her down beside her.
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