"Do not badger her, Holmes," I said. "She is but a child."
"She is old enough to be a whore," Holmes replied with a cruelty that astonished me, "and she will answer my question or face the consequences."
"She has answered to the best of her ability, and you will gain nothing by treating her so harshly," I said rather hotly. "You have gone beyond the bounds of decency, Holmes, and I will not tolerate it."
Holmes reacted with biting sarcasm. "My lands, Watson, but you are in a paternal mood today. Had I known you harbored such deep feelings for this `child,' as you call her, I would not have
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