"Oh, Sir!" said the boy, in terror.
"Never mind 'Oh, Sir!' but own up," said Davis. "You've got to do it."
"I ain't got nothin' to own up. I'm sure I don't see why you're so hard on a poor cove as never did you no harm, nor nobody else."
And saying this the boy sniveled violently.
"I s'pose your dear mamma dressed you up in your Sunday clothes to come here?" said the detective, sneeringly.
"No, Sir," said the boy, "she didn't, 'cos she's dead, she is."
"Why didn't your father come himself?"
"'Cos he's too busy in his shop."
"Did you ever hear the name of this Brown before to-day?"
"No, Sir, never as I knows on."