"I do, sir. Bad times."
"And your pretty daughter?"
"Minds the house."
"Have you no other children?"
"No; one mouth besides my own is as much as I can feed, and that scarcely. But you would like to rest now; you can have my bed, sir; I can sleep here."
"By no means," said the stranger, quickly; "just put a few more coals on the fire, and leave me to make myself comfortable."
The man rose, and did not press his offer, but left the room for a supply of fuel. Alice remained in her corner.
"Sweetheart," said the traveller, looking round and satisfying himself that they were alone: "I should sleep well if I could get one kiss from those coral lips."
Alice hid her face with her hands.
"Do I vex you?"