which in heaven was understood to indicate a
struggling soul's yearning after better things.

Straight and swift to the mouth of the kiln came Moll, the lantern
flinging its trail of light from side to side as she moved. At length
she paused opposite the opening, darted inside, looked about, and
stopped short with a smothered cry as her keen eyes discerned the little
group huddled in the far corner.

"Whish!" was all she said. Then she laid a finger on her lip, pointed
upwards, and whispered, "Joe!"

Neither Bambo nor Darby moved or spoke, and Joan slept on. They were too
frightened to do anything but stare at Moll in astonishment, wondering,
yet thankful, because she seemed disposed to be so friendly.

Moll put the lantern on the ground, fumbled for an instant in a huge
hold-all that hung beneath her skirt, whence she produced a handful of
coppers with a hunch of bread and cheese. These she silently handed to
the dwarf, who grasped her hand and murmured a fervent "God bless you,
Moll!" Then moving forward to where the sleeping child lay upon the
grass, the woman dropped on her knees beside her, bent down until her
face was on a level with the little one's, and reverently pressed her
lips to one of the small hands that were flung in a position of perfect
grace across the folds of the dwarf's worn brown jacket.

"Wait here till everything quiet," she breathed, leaning towards Bambo's
ear; "then fly for yer lives. Joe's as mad as mad! Make for the canal.
Bargee'll take ye on board if you tell him that these is the runaways
the beaks was on the hunt for. But don't split on us--leastways, not if
you can help it," added Moll, suddenly remembering how little reason she
had to expect mercy at the dwarf's hands. "An' now farewell! Don't
forget that Moll tried to do ye a good turn when she had the chance."
And giving Darby's head a rough pat, and casting another long look upon
the unconscious Joan, the woman clambered up the slope almost as quickly
as she had come down.

"Mercy me!" they heard her exclaim in accents of annoyance; "if this
bloomin' old lantern hasn't gone out! What ever'll you do, Joe?"

"Fool!" shouted Joe angrily. "Why, get it lighted agin, to be sure.
Come, hurry up. I ain't agoin' to stay here for ever."

"No more be I," answered his wife coolly. "You've burrowed enough roun'
in this direction, surely; leastways I have, an' now I'm goin' to get
some sleep. If you want that thing lighted, you can do i