"Is it right to keep me in here, and let McMullins sleep in her bed?"
It was not for me to decide the right or wrong of the Deputy's orders, to a prisoner.
"McMullins has fits, and it would not be safe to leave her in solitary all night. I should not sleep at all if she were there. I am sorry for you, O'Brien; but you don't wish McMullins to remain, in solitary because you must, do you?"
"No, ma'am; but it don't seem hardly fair to let one out, and not the other."
She was using the same argument with me to get her bed that I had used with the Deputy to get it for her.
"When you have been here before, and been punished, you have behaved very badly, have you not?"
"Annie O'Brien, will you be patient to-night, and make no complaints?"
"In the morning, when the Deputy comes around, will you tell him that you will try to govern your temper?"
"Good night, Annie, and may the Christ, whose name you called so wickedly this morning, take care of you!"
The next morning, when I gave O'Brien her bread and water, I asked her,--
"O'Brien, do you think, if McMullins were to strike you again, you would strike back?"
"I don't think I should now,--I shouldn't if I thought."
"What do you think of your behavior yesterday?"
"I am ashamed of myself that I should take any notice of that poor, foolish, half crazy thing! But I've got an awful temper, and it gets the upper hands of me before I know it."
"When the Deputy comes around, if he says anything to you, will you tell him you are ashamed of yourself, and resolved to do better?"
"He never could make me say it to him before."
"He may not ask you to now; if he does, you will be submissive and perfectly respectful?"
When the Deputy came in, I importuned him to unlock my women.
"If I do, it will only be to have O'Brien locked up again in a few days. She has been here twice before, and is one of the worst cases we have ever had."
"If she is subdued and promises to do better, is not that enough?"
"Subdued!" he echoed. "She will promise anything to get out."
"Did you ever get a promise from her to do better?"
"I don't think we ever did. She has always braved us as long as she could speak."
"I am a new mistress, my management may be new to her. Will you let me try her, if you please? She is such a young thing, it seems as though she might be influenced to reform. You are punishing me to keep her in that dark cell. It takes my strength all away to think of her there. I could not sleep last night,--thoughts of her haunted me."