?'

'Mother hasn't had any, sir; a little bit was left last night, but she
made _me_ eat that, sir.'

'D--n it, an' hasn't _she_ hed any all day! Ye mustn't do that agin,
sonny; ye must come whether ye've money or no; times is hard, but, I
swear, I kin give _ye_ a loaf any time.'

'I thank you, sir,' I said, advancing from the doorway where I had stood
unobserved--'I will pay you;' and taking a roll of bills from my pocket,
I gave him one. 'You know what they want--send it to them at once.'

The man stared at me a moment in amazement, then said:

'An' do ye know 'em, sir?'

'No, I'm just going there.'

'Well, do, sir; they're bad off; ye kin do real good there, no mistake.'

'I'll see,' I replied; and taking the bread in one hand and the little
boy by the other, I started again for his mother's. I was always a rapid
walker, but I had difficulty in keeping up with the little fellow as he
trotted along at my side.

We soon stopped at the door of an old, weather-worn building, which I
saw by the light of the street-lamp was of dingy brick, three stories
high, and hermetically sealed by green board-shutters. It sat but one
step above the ground, and a dim light which came through the low
basement-windows, showed that even its cellar was occupied. My little
guide rang the bell, and in a moment a panel of the door opened, and a
shrill voice asked:

'Who's there?'

'It's only me, ma'am; please let me in.'

'What, _you_, Franky, out so late as this!' exclaimed the woman, undoing
the chain which held the door. As she was about closing it she caught
sight of me, and eyeing me for a moment, said: 'Walk in, sir.' As I
complied with the invitation, she added, pointing to a room opening from
the hall: 'Step in there, sir.'

'He's come to see mother, ma'am,' said the little boy.

'You can't see _her_, sir, she's sick, and don't see company any more.'

'I would see her for only a moment, madam.'

'But she can't see nobody now, sir.'

'Oh! mother would like to see him very much, ma'am; he's a very good
gentleman, ma'am,' said the child, in a pleading, winning tone.

The real object of my visit seemed to break upon the woman, for, making
a low courtesy, she said:

'Oh! she _will_ be glad to see you, sir; she's very bad off, very bad
indeed;' and she at once led the way to the basement stairway.

The woman was about forty, with a round, full form, a red, bloated face,
and eyes which looked as if they had not known