"The man that owns me. But he whipped me and shet me up, and I wouldn't stay."
"Where does he live?"
"Don't know. Away off."
"You'd better go back to him, hadn't you?"
"No! I like these folks. Best folks I ever seen!" avers the earnest youth.
Flush and confusion are in the rich man's face. He turns up an uneasy glance at Adsly's men, already on the roof; then coughs, and says to Stephen,—
"This is interesting!"
"Very," says Stephen.
"Don't you remember, I was going to make some provision for this fellow,—I'd have seen him safe in the almshouse, if nothing more,—but you suggested Gingerford's."