“Yes,” said granny. “I hope you’ll pay me handsome for tellin’,” she added. “I’m a poor—woman,” she was on the point of saying “widder with five small children;” but it occurred to her that this would injure her in the present instance.
“You shall receive a suitable reward when the child is restored. It is living, I suppose?”
“Yes,” said granny.
“With you?”
“No, your honor. She ran away two months ago; but I saw her this morning.”
“Why should she run away? Didn’t you treat her well?”
“Like as if she was my own child,” said granny. “I’ve often and often gone without anything to eat, so that Tom might have enough. I took great care of her, your honor, and would have brought her up as a leddy if I hadn’t been so poor.”
“I thought it was a girl.”
“So it was, your honor.”
“Then why do you call her Tom?”