"Then he is your stepfather."
"Don't let him take me away," said Rose, imploringly.
"If he's your stepfather, I can't stop him. But, hark you, my man, I advise you to be kind to the little girl. If you are not, I hope she'll run away from you. You look as if you'd been drinking pretty hard this morning."
"It's the trouble I've had about her that made me drink," said Martin, apologetically. "I was afraid she wasn't taken good care of. Come along now, Rose. He says you must go."
"Let me go and speak to Miss Manning first," entreated Rose. "I've got a spool of cotton I've just bought for her."
"I'm not such a fool as that," said Martin. "I've looked for you long enough, and now I've got you I mean to hold on to you."
"But Miss Manning won't know where I am," pleaded Rose.
"It's none of her business where you are. She aint no relation of yours."
"But she's been very kind to me."
"She was kind enough to keep you away from me, she hasn't anything to do with you, and I don't mean she shall ever see you again."