has lately put on the blue
ribbon, so we may hope that his influence over Sam will be for good
instead of evil."

An expression of intense thankfulness escaped from the poor mother on
hearing this, but the father became suddenly much excited, and plied the
missionary with innumerable questions, which, however, resulted in
nothing, for the good reason that nothing more was known.

At this point the company were startled by another knock, and so
persuaded was Mrs Twitter that it must be Sammy himself, that she
rushed out of the room, opened the door, and almost flung herself into
the arms of Number 666.

"I--I--beg your pardon, Mr Scott, I thought that--"

"No harm done, ma'am," said Giles. "May I come in?"

"Certainly, and most welcome."

When the tall constable bowed his head to pass under the ridiculously
small doorway, and stood erect in the still more ridiculously small
parlour, it seemed as though the last point of capacity had been
touched, and the walls of the room must infallibly burst out. But they
did not! Probably the house had been built before domiciles warranted
to last twenty years had come into fashion.

"You have found him!" exclaimed Mrs Twitter, clasping her hands and
looking up in Giles's calm countenance with tearful eyes.

"Yes, ma'am, I am happy to tell you that we have at last traced him. I
have just left him."

"And does he know you have come here? Is he expecting us?" asked the
poor woman breathlessly.

"Oh! dear, no, ma'am, I rather think that if he knew I had come here, he
would not await my return, for the young gentleman does not seem quite
willing to come home. Indeed he is not quite fit; excuse me."

"How d'you know he's not willing?" demanded Mr Twitter, who felt a
rising disposition to stand up for Sammy.

"Because I heard him say so, sir. I went into the place where he was,
to look for some people who are wanted, and saw your son sitting with a
well-known rough of the name of North, who has become a changed man,
however, and has put on the blue ribbon. I knew North well, and
recognised your son at once. North seemed to have been trying to
persuade your boy to return," ("bless him! bless him!" from Mrs
Twitter), "for I heard him say as I passed--`Oh! no, no, no, I can
_never_ return home!'"

"Where is he? Take me to him at once. My bonnet and shawl, Molly!"

"Pardon me, ma'am," said Giles. "It is not a very fit place for a
lady--though there are _some_ ladie