“Have you no other bedding?” he inquired, glancing around the room.
“Lord love you, sir, where would the likes of us get it? No, your honor, you see all we have.”
“Where do the men sleep?”
“La, sir, anywheres or nowheres! most in general nowheres! If so be they happen to be at home a night they just fling themselves down onto the floor.”
“Well,” sighed the poor gentleman, “I suppose there in no help for it to-night, and he must sleep as he can, but to-morrow I must get some clean bedding for his use. I wish you to take good care of the little fellow for the few hours or days he will be with you; but I must get him out of the country as soon as possible.”
With Everage “as soon as possible” meant as soon as by any means he could raise the money to do so.
“If you please, sir——” began Meg, in a timid voice.
“Well, my girl, what is it?” inquired Everage, turning and looking at her, and thinking what a fine frank face was hers, notwithstanding that she was the child and companion of thieves and outcasts.
“If you please, sir, I would not lay him on that bed. He ain’t hardened to it, and he could not sleep, sir. It is full of bugs,” said Meg.
“But what’s to be done? You can’t hold him in your arms all night.”