ve him money!' cried Miss Mosk. 'I'd give him the cat-o-nine tails if
I had my way. Don't you trouble about him, Miss Whichello; he's no
good.'

'But if I could see him I might soften his heart,' pleaded the old lady,
very much in earnest.

'Soften a brick-bat,' rejoined Bell; 'you'd have just as much success
with one as with the other. Besides, you can't see him, Miss
Whichello--at all events, not to-night--for he's on the common with his
nasty gipsies, and--won't be back till the morning. I wish he'd stay
away altogether, I do.'

'In that case I shall not trouble about him,' said the old lady, rising;
'on some future occasion I may see him. But you need not say I was
asking for him, Miss Mosk.'

'I won't say a word; he'd only come worrying round your house if he
thought you wanted to give him money.'

'Oh, he mustn't do that; he mustn't come there!' cried Miss Whichello,
alarmed.

'He won't, for I'll hold my tongue. You can rest easy on that score,
Miss Whichello. But my advice is, don't pick him up out of the mire;
he'll only fall back into it again.'

'You have a bad opinion of him, Miss Mosk.'

'The very worst,' replied Bell, conducting her guest to the door; 'he's
a gaol-bird and a scallywag, and all that's bad. Well, good-night, Miss
Whichello, and thank you for the jelly.'

'There is no need for thanks, Miss Mosk. Good-night!' and the old lady
tripped up the street, keeping in the middle of it, lest any robber
should spring out on her from the shadow of the houses.

The storm was coming nearer, and soon would break directly over the
town, for flashes of lightning were weaving fiery patterns against the
black clouds, and every now and then a hoarse growl of thunder went
grinding across the sky. Anxious to escape the coming downfall, Miss
Whichello climbed up the street towards the cathedral as quickly and
steadily as her old legs could carry her. Just as she emerged into the
close, a shadow blacker than the blackness of the night glided past her.
A zig-zag of lightning cut the sky at the moment and revealed the face
of Mr Cargrim, who in his turn recognised the old lady in the bluish
glare.

'Miss Whichello!' he exclaimed; 'what a surprise!'

'You may well say that, Mr Cargrim,' replied the old lady, with a
nervous movement, for the sound of his voice and the sudden view of his
face startled her not a little. 'It is not often I am out at this hour,
but I have been taking some jelly to Mrs Mosk.'