"Saw you—thought you—danger—better send police—not fit for one of your sex."
He turned off into one of the filthy rooms, and they heard him scolding the inmates as though he enjoyed it.
"What a brute!" muttered Hepsey; but Marion Only laughed, adding, "I'm not a bit afraid of him."
As they were leaving the court he came up out of a cellar and joined them.
"Delightful vicinity; very healthy, too!" pointing to a stagnant pool of filth in which a pig was wallowing. He shrugged his shoulders, chuckling with mirth.
"I see you enjoy it as much as we do, Mr. Lambert. It's so good for the spirits to see people enjoying themselves." A group of boys were playing marbles on the uneven pavement, and scarcely moved for them to pass.
"Get out of the path," he shouted, striking his cane right and left. "Don't you see you're in the way of your betters?"
"Oh, Mr. Lambert!" exclaimed Marion, "you have hurt that boy," as one of the lads put his hand to his head, sending after them a terrible oath.
"Pshaw! they're not tender—good for them—business to get out of the way." But when they were about to turn out of the street and parted company, they saw him hurrying back to the group, shaking his cane and shouting, "Wait! Wait!"
Curious to know what he would do, Marion went back to the head of the street, and saw the eccentric old man throw a handful of coins to the boys, as he could not get them to wait for another beating.