He stood looking up at the clear, calm sky above his head, studded with stars. How peaceful and far-away heaven looked! How noisy and ugly earth was! As he gazed into the grey vault, the boy had a momentary consciousness of a vast, unfathomable Love bending over him. But to the west, a great black cloud was slowly rising above the houses. Bert watched it as it gradually rose and spread, till it seemed to fill all the sky, and the stars were blotted out.
"That is like sin," the boy said to himself, and he turned indoors with a sigh.
As he passed Mrs. Kay's door, he saw that a light was burning within, and he could hear her moving about, with a noise as though she were lifting heavy things.
"She's not drinking to-night, then," he said to himself. He crept into bed, and was soon sound asleep.
Early in the morning, he was wakened by a great commotion in the passage. Emerging from his hole to see what it meant, he perceived that the place was strewn with Mrs. Kay's belongings, and that a cart stood at the door, waiting to receive them. Tumbling as quickly as possible into his clothes, he ran to learn more.
"Why, Mrs. Kay!" he cried. "Are you shifting?"
"Does it no look like it?" she asked grimly.
"I'm sorry for that," said Bert, who bore no malice on account of harsh words and blows received from her in the past. "Where are you going?"
"That's no business of yours," she replied. "Just hold your tongue, can't you? I've enough to do without your bothering me with questions."
"Can't I help you?" asked Bert.