"Oh! no. We don't know who he is; he just took us so."
"Took you so?"
"You see," explained the next older one, "our mother, she's got the baby and Janet, and the gentleman, he said he would take us and get some wild flowers, because we hadn't had any breakfast, and that dog"—But the dog was forgotten on the instant.
"Have not had any breakfast!" exclaimed the young lady with astonishment.
"No; you see, we had some bread last night, but that's given out. She ate the last piece last night—" (she pointed at the smallest child)—"and we were so hungry; she cried, and Mamma cried, and that gentleman——"
By this time I had turned and I now stepped forward. I confess, that as I turned, wrath was in my heart, but at sight of that horrified face, in its sympathy, my anger died away.
"Oh! and to think what I wasted! How did it happen?"
"The train was late and they had expected to get in to breakfast, but the engine gave out," I explained.
"And they have not had any breakfast?"
"No one on the train."