tesses? W'y, I'd walk there on my head with my eyes bound!"

We stared down at her--for it was a small girl, a girl so diminutive that
Hartnoll and I, who were not Anaks by any means, topped her by head and
shoulders. She wore no shoes, no stockings, no covering for her head.
Her hair, wet with the fog, draggled down, half-hiding her face, which was
old for its age (as they say), and chiefly by reason of her sharp,
gipsy-coloured eyes.

"For a copper apiece, miss, and honour bright!" said the waif.

The young actress turned to us with a laugh. "Why not?" she asked.
"That is, if you're not above being beholden to the child? But I warn you
not to pay her till you get to the Blue Posts."

I answered that any port was good in a storm, and the child should have
sixpence if she proved as good as her word.

"So long, then, my pair of seventy-fours. I'm late for the theatre
already. Good-night! and when you tuck yourselves in to bye-low don't
forget to dream of your mammies." Bending quickly, she kissed Hartnoll on
the cheek, and was in the act to offer me a like salute when I dodged
aside, angered by her last words. She broke into a laugh like a chime of
bells, made a pretty pout at me with her lips and disappeared into the
darkness. Then it struck me that I need not have lost my temper; but I
was none the more inclined to let Hartnoll down easily.

"I call that pretty meek," said I, as we walked off together, the child
pattering, barefoot, beside us.

"What's the matter?" asked Hartnoll.

"Why, to let that girl kiss you--like a baby!"

"Sure you're not thinking of sour grapes?"

"I take you to witness," said I, "that she tried it on and I wouldn't let
her."

"The more fool you!" retorted Hartnoll, edging away from me in dudgeon--
but I knew he was more than half ashamed. Just at that moment to my
astonishment I felt the child at my side reach up and touch my hand.

"Ugh!" said I, drawing it away quickly. "Paws off, please! Eh?--what's
this?" For she was trying to thrust something into it and to close my
fingers upon it.

"Hush!" she whispered. "It's your watch."

I gave a whistle. "My watch? How the deuce did _you_ come by my watch?"

"Prigged it," said the child in a business-like voice. "Don't know why I
gave it back: seemed that I wanted to. That's why I offered to come with
you: and now I'm glad. Don't care if I _do_ get a hiding."

For the moment, while she plodded alongside, I could o