th nor kin belonging to me, only an uncle in Australia, and he don't
count, as I never set eyes on him. I'd have never come to London but
for father and mother dying off sudden when I was but a bit of a lad.
I'm sort of lonely in the evenings, and I want a wife awful bad."

"Well, there's Louisa Clay, and she's willing," said Alison, who,
notwithstanding that her heart was almost bursting, could not restrain
her flippant tone.

Jim gave her a steady look out of his dark gray eyes, but did not
reply. She lowered her own eyes then, unable to bear their true and
faithful glance.

"What I say is this," said Jim, "that I know you, Alison; you aint no
more a thief than I am. Why shouldn't you come home to me? Why
shouldn't you make me happy--and why shouldn't I help the lads and
Grannie a bit? You'd have as snug a home as any girl in London; and
I'd be proud to work for you. I wouldn't want you to do any more
shopwork. Why should we wait and keep everybody wretched just for a
bit of false pride? Why should you not trust me, Ally? And I love
you, my dear; I love you faithful and true."

"I wish you wouldn't say any more, Jim," said Alison.

The note in her voice had changed from sharp petulance to a low sort of
wail. She sank on a chair, laid her head on the table which stood
near, and burst into tears.

"Grannie, I wish you would try and persuade her," said the young man.

"I'll talk to her," said Grannie; "it seems reasonable enough. Two
pounds a week! Lor' bless us! why, it's wealth--and ef you love her,
Jim?"

"Need you ask?" he answered.

"No, I needn't; you're a good lad. Well, come back again, Jim; go away
now and come back again. We'll see you at the end of a week, that we
will."

Jim rose slowly and unwillingly. Alison would not look at him. She
was sobbing in a broken-hearted way behind her handkerchief.

"I don't see why there should be suspense," he said, as he took up his
cap. "It's the right thing to do; everything else is wrong. And see
here, Alison, I'll take a couple of the children; they don't cost much,
I know, and it will be such a help to Grannie."

"To be sure, that it will," said Grannie. "That offer about the
children is a p'int to be considered. You go away, Jim, and come back
again at the end of a week."

The young man gave a loving glance at Alison's sunny head as it rested
on the table. His inclination was to go up to her, take her head
between his hands, raise