Shovel's old slattern gave this service unasked and without payment; if she was thanked it was ungraciously, but she continued to do all she could when there was need; she smelled of gin, but she continued to do all she could.
The wardrobe had been put upon its back on the floor, and so converted into a bed for Tommy and Elspeth, who were sometimes wakened in the night by a loud noise, which alarmed them until they learned that it was only the man in the next room knocking angrily on the wall because their mother's cough kept him from sleeping.
Tommy knew what death was now, and Elspeth knew its name, and both were vaguely aware that it was looking for their mother; but if she could only hold out till Hogmanay, Tommy said, they would fleg it out of the house.

Hogmanay is the mighty winter festival of Thrums, and when it came round these two were to give their mother a present that would make her strong.

It was not to be a porous plaster.

Tommy knew now of something better than that.
"And I knows too!" Elspeth gurgled, "and I has threepence a'ready, I has." "Whisht!" said Tommy, in an agony of dread, "she hears you, and she'll guess.

We ain't speaking of nothing to give to you at Hogmanay," he said to his mother with great cunning.