“Now, fellow, what are you doing here? Eh?”
“I’m taking a walk,” answered the man sulkily; “And pray, if I may make so bold, what are you doing here?”
“I’m talking a walk, also,” returned the nobleman, “to get an appetite for my breakfast.”
“Ah,” muttered the man, “I’m taking a walk to get a breakfast for my appetite.”
The nobleman did not ask any more questions, but walked on without more ado.
This story pleased Alf immensely.
The speaker now paused as if waiting for him to answer her. He observed that her eyes were searching him through and through, while the elder woman was gazing at him with a peculiar expression of tenderness mingled with pity.
“I think I shall be able to find employment for you,” said the younger of the two—“that is if you don’t mind work. I will supply you with much better articles to sell in the streets or anywhere else, and if you are a good boy you can make this your home for the present.”
“Oh, thank you, marm,” cried Alf. “I’m sure I’ll do all I can to serve you.” He said, in continuation, that it was very hard to have no bread to eat, and no means of getting any, but still he thought that honest people were the happiest, and they were often the richest too, for he’d heard a thief say only a few nights before that an honest shilling went farther than a stolen crown, and certainly the thieves he had seen were very poorly clothed, and dirty, and hungry; it did not seem as if they thrived on their trade.
At this the old lady smiled, and Miss Stanbridge did not vouchsafe a reply.