"Have you felt lonely any?"

"I've had good company."

"Who's been here?"

Dick pointed significantly to a jug, which stood beside his chair.

"So you've brought the gal. How did you get hold of her?"

There was something in these questions which terrified Ida. It
seemed to indicate a degree of complicity between these two, which
boded no good to her.

"I'll tell you the particulars by and by," said the nurse, looking
significantly at the child's expressive face.

At the same time she began to take off her bonnet.

"You ain't going to stop, are you?" whispered Ida.

"Ain't going to stop!" repeated the man called Dick. "Why shouldn't
she? Ain't she at home?"

"At home!" echoed Ida, apprehensively, opening wide her eyes in
astonishment.

"Yes, ask her."