She broke off suddenly, and shrunk backward into the darkest corner of the passage, cowering down as if she had been seated on the floor and was but just aroused.
Madame De Marke opened the door, and her little, sharp face peered out.
“Come, come—hist, have ye gone?” she whispered.
“No, I am here; the darkness makes me drowsy, that’s all!” answered Jane, coming forward, “especially after watching so many nights without a wink of sleep.”
“Step in quick—why there’s heat enough gone through the door already to warm a barn. Heat costs money, don’t you know that? It’s enough to ruin one to have company in this way, wasting everything.”
Jane entered the room.
“You haven’t thought better of it? You are resolute to strip me of more money than I can save in a year? You won’t relent, eh?”
“I want the money, ma’am, nothing more. It’s my just right. I’ve earned it, if anybody on earth ever did.”
“And you won’t take anything but money, not money’s worth, now?” cried madame, peering eagerly into the face of her visitor.
“Why? Haven’t you got the change handy?” asked Jane, with her thoughts fixed longingly on the jewels she had seen.