“No one else under the bed?”
“No one,” Norah replied, but the man knelt on the floor, lifted the bedclothes and peeped under.
“Only one in the next room?” asked the sallow-faced fellow, pointing at Meg’s door.
“Only one and nobody else.”
They chose not to believe the girl’s statement, rapped on the door, which was opened after a long delay by old Meg, who had risen naked from bed and was now hiding her withered body behind a blanket stamped with the blue lettering. The sentence STOLEN FROM JAMES MOFFAT ran from the left knee to the right shoulder; the left shoulder was bare, as was also the left leg from ankle to hip.
“Only one here,” she croaked, glowering evilly at the men who had disturbed her slumber. “Christ! an auld body has no peace at all here, for there are always some folk crawlin’ round when decent folk are in bed. Bed! callin’ it a bed and so particular about it. One would almost be as well off if they were thrown out a handful of fleas and allowed to sleep on the doorstep. God’s curse on ye both, comin’ at this hour of the night to pull an old woman like me from my scratcher.”
The bearded man entered the room, his companion took out a note-book and wrote something down, shut the book and placed it in his pocket. The tall man came out again; both bade Norah “Good-night” in apologetic tones and took their leave. Sheila had slept unmoved through it all.
The young girl closed the door, extinguished the light and re-entered the bed. She was very tired, but sleep would not come to her eyes. An hour passed. Sheila was snoring loudly, but Norah awake could hear the water dropping into the sink on the landing, and the vacant laugh of Bessie escorting a man upstairs. At night this woman never slept; her business was then in full swing.
Someone knocked at the door again, and Norah cried, “Who’s there?” “Is this No. 8?” enquired a man’s voice. Norah answered, “No,” and steps shuffled along the passage outside. Next instant the crash of someone falling heavily was heard, then a muttered imprecation, and afterwards silence.