Poor little lad! Never yet had he known the real meaning of the word. It was a hard life that he and Phil led; up and down the country those children tramped, from May to October, sleeping where they could, and depending for a livelihood on what they begged or earned by the way, or what mother sold out of her pedlar's box. They never quite understood where father got money from; sometimes he seemed to have quite a lot. But they never dared ask where it came from, and Phil was always afraid it was not honestly gained.
No one who saw Stephen Mellor could doubt that he had seen better days; and sometimes Phil, who was nearly thirteen, would ask his mother if he was dreaming, or whether he really could recall a comfortable home away in the North. But she never satisfied his curiosity—only turned the conversation, and told him he always had such strange ideas; though Phil was sure the tears came in mother's eyes when he asked her; and then she would bid him say no more.
The love between the two boys was very strong and true. Phil was Rob's hero, Rob was Phil's charge; and Jonas Jasper was the friend of both. It was a strange thing that he should have taken such a fancy to the lads, for Jonas was reckoned anything but sociable among his neighbours; yet there was an exception even to this rule, and for two years now the old man and the children had been the fastest friends. Their quaint ways amused him, and nothing pleased him better than to see them come into his shed, and curl themselves up on the ground against the barrels.
"It's so nice there are three of them," Rob would say, "because that's one each. Anybody would think you had got them on purpose for us, you know."
And so now the happy intimacy was renewed for another winter; and Rob, sitting there, telling Jonas a summer's adventures, forgot all the hardships of the past in the happiness of the present.
It was not long before Phil joined them, as glad as Rob to be there again, but in no mood to sit down.
"No, no, Mr. Jasper, not yet. I've got some shopping to do. Look here!" and opening his hand he displayed a shilling. "Wasn't it fortunate? the gentleman whose bag I carried hadn't anything smaller, except a penny. I told him I'd go for change, but his train was just off, so he gave me this. And now, Rob, you and I will invite Mr. Jasper to dinner; only, as our room is not ready, perhaps he will allow us to dine here."
Rob clapped his hands in glee; but Jonas shook his head, though a smile crossed his face, at the boy's dry speech.
"You keep what you've got," he said. "My dinner has been ready since yesterday; see here!" and reaching down a plate from a shelf that hung near, he exhibited a black pudding and a hunch of bread.
But Phil was off, and presently returned with three pieces of cold cooked fish, a loaf of bread, and a can of hot coffee; and seating himself on the ground he held up his change.