"No."
"Then come with me. I live right across the way, and I'll soon warm you up. It's lucky I came over to see if everything was all right. I'm looking after the place till spring."
The man took up his lantern once more and led the way up stairs and across the street. The two entered a neat-looking tenement, and the man took Hal to a set of rooms on the second floor.
A hot fire was blazing in the kitchen, and drawing up a chair the man motioned for Hal to sit down.
"Maybe the old woman kin lend you some clothes," said the man. "But I allow as how you may be better off, if you let the wet ones dry onto you. It may save you from a spell of sickness."
"I am doing very nicely now," replied Hal. "I am used to some pretty tough knocks," he added, and he spoke the truth, for life at the Fairham poor-house had been anything but easy.
At that moment, the door opened, and a girl rushed in. She looked at Hal, and then gave a cry of surprise.
"Hullo! What brings you here?" she asked.
"What's that?" put in the man.
"He saved me from getting a beating," said the girl. "Didn't you?"