III.

“Did your mother come from Italy, Jakey?”

“Yes; ven my fader have not drunk ze beer, he make ze peoples mit ze brush; and he go in Italy, and ven he have make my moder dare mit ze brush, ce love him, and ce run away mit him ven her moder not know it.  And ven ce come in Germany, von oder time he make her mit ze brush, and ce hang on ze vall; and Jeem he make, and Fred he make mit ze brush, and zey hang on ze vall.  Much ze peoples he make mit ze brush, and zey give him ze money.  Me he not make, but my moder ce make me mit ze leetle brush; but ven I bees made, I not hang on ze vall, I bees sut like ze book.  And ce make Jeem dot vay, and Fred dot vay, and ce keep zem.  Von time my fader go to ze drawer, and he get zem all, and he go avay and he sell zem, and he get ze money; and ven my moder know it, ce come vare ze man be vot have buy zem, and I come mit her, and ce give him ze ring fon her fing-er, and ce get me back and ce hide me.

“Von time my fader have sell my moder vot hang on ze vall, and ze man come dare, and my fader have take her down, and Jeem cry and Fred cry; and Fred say let hees go, and Jeem say let hees go, but my moder say no, and ze man go avay mit her.”

“But, dear Jakey, how long did they keep your father locked up there with the chains on him?”

“Oh! big long time; and von time my granfader come dare, and my moder bees sick in ze bed; ce not get vell vare my fader have strike her; and my granfader tell her dot ze man vot sit vay high in ze seat have said ze vord, dot my fader go vay off, and be lock up mit ze dark and mit ze chains on him, vile he live and vile he die.  Zen my moder say ce vill go vare he be.  My granfader lif her, and ce get up, and I come mit zem.  And ven my moder come dare, ce go to ze man vot have said ze vord, and ce tell him dot he vill let my fader go, he vill, he vill!  And ce say dot ce vill die, if he not let my fader go, and ce cry; and ce tell ze man vot sit vay high in ze chair, dot he vill let him go? but ze man say No, he have said ze vord.  Zen my moder go down vare my fader be mit ze chains on him, and ven ce come dare, ce scream, and ce fall on ze ground, like ce be dead.  Zen my granfader say dot I go tell ze man dot he vill let my fader go, and ven my granfader bring me, and I come dare, I tink I say dot; but I tell him dot he vill not kill my moder, and I cry, too loud I cry.  Zen ze man go vay high on hees feets mil his hand on my head, and he say some vords to ze men vot bees dare, and he say some vords to my granfader.  Zen he go roun on his feets and he say some vords to my fader.  He tell him, dot he vill be good? dot he vill not drink ze beer? dot he vill vork? dot he vill make ze peoples mit ze brush? dot he vill love my moder, and get ze bread and ze fire and ze meat? and my fader say he vill, he vill!  Zen ze man vot have said ze vord tell my fader dot he may go; and quick von oder man take ze chains fon hees feets and fon hees hands, and he bees too glad; and he lif up my moder, and he sake her dot ce speak, and he love her, and he come avay mit her.  And my granfader bring me; I come mit him in hees arms, and vile my granfader valk, he cry.