e to talk of
such things as them. It's something very different from that. Perhaps he
might think it over-venturesome of me to say--well then,--to say this,"
said Kit, with sudden boldness. "This home is gone from you and him.
Mother and I have got a poor one, and why not come there, till he's had
time to look about and find a better? You think," said the boy, "that it's
very small and inconvenient. So it is, but it's very clean. Do try, Miss
Nell, do try. The little front room upstairs is very pleasant. Mother says
it would be just the thing for you, and so it would; and you'd have her to
wait upon you both, and me to run errands. We don't mean money, bless you;
you're not to think of that! Will you try him, Miss Nell? Only say you'll
try him. Do try to make old master come, and ask him first what I have
done. Will you only promise that, Miss Nell?"

The street door opened suddenly just then, and, conscious that they were
overheard, Nell closed her window quickly, and Kit stole away. And that
was his last view of his beloved mistress, for shortly afterwards the Old
Curiosity Shop was vacant of its tenants. Little Nell and her grandfather
had quietly slipped away, under cover of night, to face their poverty in a
new place; where, no one knew or could find out; and all that remained to
Kit to remind him of his past, was Nell's bird, which he rescued from the
shop, (now in Quilp's hands), took home, and hung in his window, to the
immeasurable delight of his whole family.

It now remained for Kit to find a new situation, and he roamed the city in
search of one daily. He was quite tired out with pacing the streets, to
say nothing of repeated disappointments, and was sitting down upon a step
to rest, one day, when there approached towards him a little clattering,
jingling, four-wheeled chaise, drawn by a little obstinate-looking,
rough-coated pony, and driven by a little placid-faced old gentleman.
Beside the little old gentleman sat a little old lady, plump and placid
like himself. As they passed where he sat, Kit looked so wistfully at the
little turnout, that the old gentleman looked at him. Kit rising and
putting his hand to his hat, the old gentleman intimated to the pony that
he wished to stop, to which proposal the pony graciously acceded.

"I beg your pardon, sir," said Kit. "I'm sorry you stopped, sir, I only
meant, did you want your horse minded."

"I'm going to get down in the next street," returned the old gent