d leader. The child
felt it, but had no doubts or misgivings, and, putting her hand in his,
led him gently away. Forth from the city, while it yet was asleep went
the two poor wanderers, going, they knew not whither.

They passed through the long, deserted streets, in the glad light of
early morning, until these streets dwindled away, and the open country
was about them. They walked all day, and slept that night at a small
cottage where beds were let to travelers. The sun was setting on the
second day of their journey, and they were jaded and worn out with
walking, when, following a path which led through a churchyard to the
town where they were to spend the night, they fell in with two traveling
showmen, the exhibitors or keepers of a Punch and Judy show. These two
men raised their eyes when the old man and his young companion were
close upon them. One of them, the real exhibitor, no doubt, was a
little, merry-faced man with a twinkling eye and a red nose, who seemed
to be something like old Punch himself. The other--that was he who took
the money--had rather a careful and cautious look, which perhaps came
from his business also.

The merry man was the first to greet the strangers with a nod; and
following the old man's eyes, he observed that perhaps that was the
first time he had ever seen a Punch off the stage.

"Why do you come here to do this?" said the old man sitting down beside
them, and looking at the figures with extreme delight.

"Why, you see," rejoined the little man, "we're putting up for to-night
at the public house yonder, and it wouldn't do to let 'em see the
present company undergoing repair."

"No!" cried the old man, making signs to Nell to listen, "why not, eh?
why not?"

"Because it would destroy all the reality of the show and take away all
the interest, wouldn't it?" replied the little man. "Would you care a
ha'penny for the Lord Chancellor if you know'd him in private and
without his wig?--certainly not."[C]

"Good!" said the old man, venturing to touch one of the puppets, and
drawing away his hand with a shrill laugh. "Are you going to show 'em
to-night? are you?"

"That is the purpose, governor," replied the other, "and unless I'm much
mistaken, Tommy Codlin is a-calculating at this minute what we've lost
through your coming upon us. Cheer up, Tommy, it can't be much."

The little man accompanied these latter words with a wink, expressive
of the estimate he had formed of the travele