CHAPTER V
Down in the new tenement Anna and her little slave, M'riar, worked hard, that day, at cleaning.
"W'ere Hi wuz born," M'riar gravely commented, "we wuz brought up on dirt an' liked hit, but we never wusn't greedy for hit, like th' way these folks, 'ere, 'as been."
Anna, in the next room, was for the first time in her life working with a scrubbing-brush, and, presently, M'riar heard its swish.
"Hi s'y!" she cried, and dashed into the gloomy cubby-hole. "Wot's this? You scrubbin'? Drop it, now, you 'ear? Hit 'yn't fer me to show no disrespeck, Frowline, but—drop it. Hi 'yn't a-goin' to have them pretty 'ands hall spoilt."
"But, M'riarrr, I just love to scrub."
"Don't love hanythink so vulgar," M'riar replied without a moment's hesitation. "Don't you bother lovin' hanythink but just the guvnor, and—and—Mr. Vanderlyn." She looked down at blushing Anna who, upon her knees, was astonished almost into full paralysis. And then she shrilly laughed.
"Hi knows!" said she. "Hi knows."
"M'riarrr," said Anna slowly, rising, "you are crrazy."