FullReads

But here a small figure stepped out against us from the shadow of the platform, and a small shrillish voice piped up–

“For a copper, miss–or a copper apiece if they’ll trust me. Find the Blue Postesses? 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 only feel the watch over in my hand, making sure that it was really mine.

“But,” said I, after a long pause of wonder, “you don’t suppose that I want to give you a hiding, eh?–and you a girl, too!”

“No.”

“Then who’s going to beat you?”

“Mother.” After a moment she added reassuringly, “But I’ve got another inside o’ my bodice.”

I whistled again, and called up Hartnoll, who had been lagging behind sulkily. But he lost his sulks when I showed him the watch: and he too whistled, and we stood stock-still gazing at the child, who had halted with one bare foot on the edge of the gutter.

“She has another about her,” said I. “She confessed it.”

“Good Lord!” As the child made a motion to spring away, Hartnoll stepped out across the gutter and intercepted her. “I–I say,” he stammered, “you don’t by any chance happen to have my dirk?”

She fell to whimpering. “Lemme go . . . I took pity on yer an’ done yer a kindness . . . put myself out o’ the way, I did, and this is what I get for it. Thought you was kind-hearted, I did, and–if you don’t lemme go, I’ll leave you to find your way, and before mornin’ the crimps’ll get you.” She threatened us, trembling with passion, shaking her finger at the ugly darkness.