'
'And she never came to any harm?' I said, holding the great muscular
hands between my two palms, unwilling to let them go. 'She never came
to any harm?'
'Ain't I said so more nor wunst? I swore on the Bible--there's the
very Bible, under the match-box, agin the winder--on that very Bible
I swore as my port Jenny brought from Wales, an' as I've never popped
yit that this pore half-sharp gal should never go wrong through me;
an' then, arter I swore that, my pore Jenny let me alone, an' I never
'eard 'er v'ice no more a-cryin'. "Mother, vi'lets, vi'lets; mother,
vi'lets, vi'lets!" An' many's the chap as 'as come leerin' after 'er
as I've sent away with a flea in 'is ear. Cuss 'em all; they's all
bad alike about purty gals, men is. She's never comed to no wrong
through _me_. Didn't I ammost kill a real sailor capting when I used
to live in the East End 'cause he tried to meddle with 'er? An'
worn't that the reason why I left my 'um close to Radcliffe 'Ighway
an' comed 'ere? Them as killed 'er wur the cussed lot in the
studeros. I'm a dyin' woman; I'm as hinicent as a new-born babe.
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