"Did you lose much?"
"It wasn't what I lost, it was what I took. I gave Bill the plate to pledge; it's all gone, and master and missis coming back tomorrow. Don't talk about it. I got drunk so that I shouldn't think of it."
"Oh, Sarah, I didn't think it was as bad as that. You must tell me all about it."
"I don't want to think about it. They'll come soon enough to take me away. Besides, I cannot remember nothing now. My mouth's that awful—Give me a drink. Never mind the glass, give me the water-bottle."
She drank ravenously, and seemed to recover a little. Esther pressed her to tell her about the pledged plate. "You know that I'm your friend. You'd better tell me. I want to help you out of this scrape."
"No one can help me now, I'm done for. Let them come and take me. I'll go with them. I shan't say nothing."
"How much is it in for? Don't cry like that," Esther said, and she took out her handkerchief and wiped Sarah's eyes. "How much is it in for? Perhaps I can get my husband to lend me the money to get it out."
"It's no use trying to help me…. Esther, I can't talk about it now; I shall go mad if I do."
"Tell me how much you got on it."
"Thirty pounds."