to the Quay, in the punt (they two sitting in the cart
the while), they had found themselves called upon to pay a penny each
for the passage over, which they had enjoyed amazingly. Betty paid both
pennies, having the coppers, but she urged John to be quick and get his
shilling changed to pay her back.

At the street corner John suggested leaving her for awhile. "This would
be as good a corner as any other for you, Betty," he said, and slapped
the shutters of a chemist's shop as he spoke, "You stand here, and
you'll catch everybody who goes by."

"There's no one going by yet," said Betty. "What are you going to do?
You're not going to leave me all alone?"

"Well," said John, "we might stick together a bit longer, anyway. I'll
come back for you. You sing your song, and I'll just go and see if any
shops want a boy. I don't suppose the offices are opened yet. What I'd
like is a good warehouse, and then I'd rise to be manager, and partner.
That's the sort of thing. I don't think there's much in a shop after
all, but I'll have to find out where the warehouses are. A tea warehouse
is good, _I_ can tell you. You get sent out to India for the firm, and
then come back and are made a partner."

He started off, only to be stopped after he had gone a few steps, by
Betty's voice calling, "Get your shilling changed, I want my penny"; to
which he nodded.

Betty had the corner all to herself then. Down the street, and up the
street, and down the side street, whichever way she craned her neck she
could see no one.

It seemed to her a very good opportunity to try her powers. So she
commenced. At first it must be confessed she made no more sound than
she had done in talking to John. And the street was so used to voices
that it did not open an eye.

Therefore Betty grew bolder, and forgot in singing that she was
not at the bend in the old home-road, where she had practised
once or twice since she had decided upon her career. Her voice
rose clearly--shrilly--and sometimes she remembered the tune
quite fairly. When she forgot it, she filled in what would have
otherwise been a pause with a little bit out of any other tune
that came into her head.

For those who would like to know the words of the song she was singing,
and who may not have it among their mother's girlhood songs, as Betty
had, it may be as well to copy them from the paper she held in her hand
to refresh her memory from--

"Please give me a penny, sir; my mother