"Still you shouldn't say so," he insisted.
"Shouldn't I? Everybody calls her wicked old grannie --
even them that's as wicked as her. You should hear her swear.
There's nothing like it in the Row. Indeed, I assure you, sir,
there's ne'er a one of them can shut my grannie up once she
begins and gets right a-going. You must put her in a passion
first, you know. It's no good till you do that -- she's so old
now. How she do make them laugh, to be sure!"
Although she called her wicked, the child spoke so as
plainly to indicate pride in her grannie's pre-eminence in
swearing.
The gentleman looked very grave to hear her, for he was
sorry that such a nice little girl should be in such bad
keeping. But he did not know what to say next, and stood for a
moment with his eyes on the ground. When he lifted them, he saw
the face of Diamond looking up in his.
"Please, sir," said Diamond, "her grannie's very cruel to
her sometimes, and shuts her out in the streets at night, if she
happens to be late."
"Is this your brother?" asked the gentleman of the girl.
"No, sir."
"How does he know your grandmother, then? He does not look
like one of her sort."
"Oh no, sir! He's a good boy -- quite.
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