At last Aniele succeeded in pacifying her, and she
essayed the ascent; then, however, she had to be stopped
while the old woman cautioned her about the floor of the
garret. They had no real floor -- they had laid old boards
in one part to make a place for the family to live; it was
all right and safe there, but the other part of the garret
had only the joists of the floor, and the lath and plaster of
the ceiling below, and if one stepped on this there would
be a catastrophe. As it was half dark up above, perhaps
one of the others had best go up first with a candle. Then
there were more outcries and threatening, until at last
Jurgis had a vision of a pair of elephantine legs disap~
pearing through the trap-door, and felt the house shake as
Madame Haupt started to walk. Then suddenly Aniele
came to him and took him by the arm.

"Now," she said, "you go away. Do as I tell you --
you have done all you can, and you are only in the way.
Go away and stay away."

"But where shall I go?" Jurgis asked, helplessly.

"I don't know where," she answered. "Go on the
street, if there is no other place -- only go! And stay all
night!"

In the end she and Marija pushed him out of the door
and shut it behind him. It was just about sundown, and
it was turning cold -- the rain had changed to snow, and
the slush was freezing. Jurgis shivered in his thin cloth~
ing, and put his hands into his pockets and started away.
He had not eaten since morning, and he felt weak and ill;
with a sudden throb of hope he recollected he was only a
few blocks from the saloon where he had been wont to eat
his dinner. They might have mercy on him there, or he
might meet a friend. He set out for the place as fast as
he could walk.

"Hello, Jack," said the saloon-keeper, when he entered
-- they call all foreigners and unskilled men "Jack" in
Packingtown. "Where've you been?"

Jurgis went straight to the bar. "I've been in jail,"
he said, "and I've just got out. I walked home all the
way, and I've not a cent, and had nothing to eat since this

[[222]]

p221 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p222w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p223

v?