“Deserve it, my pet, of course you do, and twice as much; but give me the ear-ring.”
“Not exactly!” answered Jane Kelly, “I was not fool enough to bring it here.”
“Then you haven’t it about you?”
“No, why should I?”
“Oh, no, why should you—but you haven’t pawned or sold it, have you?”
“Of course I haven’t; none of your fine ladies will get a chance to flourish in them diamond ear-rings now, I tell you; they cost too much for that, and what I’ve earned I can afford to wear as well as the best on ’em.”
“But why didn’t you put it in your ear to-night? I should just like to see ’em sparkling each side of them rosy cheeks; why, it’d be a treat to see them and your eyes a-flashing together. I wish you’d brought ’em, dear.”
“Well,” answered Jane, smoothing back her hair, with great complacency, “it’s no use talking about it now, for one ear-ring is safe in my trunk, at the hospital, and the other, you know, is somewhere in the room here, so it stands to reason they can’t outshine my two eyes to-night.”
“Oh, ho!” ejaculated madame, softly; “in your trunk; well, I should a thought it would have been safer in your pocket.”
“Not at all. I keep the store-room key myself, and no one gets to my trunk now, I tell you. The matron would give her eyes to see what’s in it; but, no; close bind, close find, is my motto.”