ot a common boy? he doesn't whine,' she remarked,
and handed me a stale bun, saying, 'Here, Master Charles, and you needn't
say thank you.'

'My name is Harry Richmond, and I thank you very much,' I replied.

I heard her say, as I went out, 'You can see he's a gentleman's son.' The
ragged boy was awaiting me eagerly. 'Gemini! you're a lucky one,' he
cried; 'here, come along, curly-poll.' I believe that I meant to share
the bun with him, but of course he could not be aware of my beneficent
intentions: so he treated me as he thought I was for treating him, and
making one snatch at the bun, ran off cramming it into his mouth. I stood
looking at any hand. I learnt in that instant what thieving was, and
begging, and hunger, for I would have perished rather than have asked for
another cake, and as I yearned for it in absolute want of food, the boy's
ungenerous treatment of me came down in a cloud on my reason. I found
myself being led through the crush of people, by an old gentleman, to
whom I must have related an extraordinary rigmarole. He shook his head,
saying that I was unintelligible; but the questions he put to me, 'Why
had I no hat on in the open street?--Where did my mother live?--What was
I doing out alone in London?' were so many incitements to
autobiographical composition to an infant mind, and I tumbled out my
history afresh each time that he spoke. He led me into a square, stooping
his head to listen all the while; but when I perceived that we had
quitted the region of shops I made myself quite intelligible by stopping
short and crying: 'I am so hungry.' He nodded and said, 'It 's no use
cross-examining an empty stomach. You'll do me the favour to dine with
me, my little man. We'll talk over your affairs by-and-by.'

My alarm at having left the savoury street of shops was not soothed until
I found myself sitting at table with him, and a nice young lady, and an
old one who wore a cap, and made loud remarks on my garments and
everything I did. I was introduced to them as the little boy dropped from
the sky. The old gentleman would not allow me to be questioned before I
had eaten. It was a memorable feast. I had soup, fish, meat, and pastry,
and, for the first time in my life, a glass of wine. How they laughed to
see me blink and cough after I had swallowed half the glass like water.
At once my tongue was unloosed. I seemed to rise right above the roofs of
London, beneath which I had been but a wandering atom a fe