ing taken the required turns our wanderer found himself in a
peculiarly low, dirty, and disagreeable locality. The population was in
keeping with it--so much so that Aspel looked round inquiringly before
proceeding to "ask again." He had not quite made up his mind which of
the tawdry, half-drunken creatures around him he would address, when a
middle-aged man of respectable appearance, dressed in black, issued from
one of the surrounding dens.

"A city missionary," thought George Aspel, as he approached, and asked
for direction to the abode of a man named Abel Bones.

The missionary pointed out the entrance to the desired abode, and looked
at his questioner with a glance which arrested the youth's attention.

"Excuse me, sir," he said, "but the man you name has a very bad
character."

"Well, what then?" demanded Aspel sharply.

"Oh! nothing. I only meant to warn you, for he is a dangerous man."

The missionary was a thin but muscular man, with stern black eyes and a
powerful nose, which might have rendered his face harsh if it had not
been more than redeemed by a large firm mouth, round which played lines
that told unmistakably of the milk of human kindness. He smiled as he
spoke, and Aspel was disarmed.

"Thank you," he said; "I am well able to take care of myself."

Evidently the missionary thought so too, for, with a quiet bow, he
turned and went his way.

At the end of a remarkably dark passage George Aspel ran his head
against a beam and his knee against a door with considerable violence.

"Come in," said a very weak but sweet little voice, as though doors in
that region were usually rapped at in that fashion.

Lifting the latch and entering, Aspel found himself confronted by Tottie
Bones in her native home.

It was a very small, desolate, and dirty home, and barely rendered
visible by a thin "dip" stuck into an empty pint-bottle.

Tottie opened her large eyes wide with astonishment, then laid one of
her dirty little fingers on her rosy lips and looked imploringly at her
visitor. Thus admonished, he spoke, without knowing why in a subdued
voice.

"You are surprised to see me, Tottie?"

"I'm surprised at nothink, sir. 'Taint possible to surprise me with
anythink in _this_ life."

"D'you expect to be surprised by anything in any other life, Tottie?"
asked Aspel, more amused by the air of the child than by her answer.

"P'r'aps. Don't much know, and don't much care," said Tottie.

"Well, I'