“Not very far.”
“Where are you going to?”
“Don’t know.”
“Have you got any money?”
“None.”
“Where’s your father and mother?”
“Father’s dead.”
“And yer mother? Can’t she keep yer? Ain’t she got no home neither?”
The boy felt that any attempt to reply would betray his violent emotion. He got up silently and walked away.
The stranger followed, overtook him, and walked beside him.