sn't there I was fairly beat--I was," he said. "I knowed
they hadn't had time to find you--perlice I mean--but I saw as you must
have got tired waiting so long. So off I set till I met a woman who told
me the way to the Sandle'ham road. I had a fancy you'd ask for it rather
than come into the town if you thought they'd cotched me, and I was
about right you see."

"Is this the Sandle'ham road? Oh yes, Barbara told us it was," said the
children. "But us didn't know it was. Us just runned and runned when us
saw the policeman, us was so frightened."

"But us _was_ going back to try to get you out of prison if Barbara
would have let us," added Pamela.

Then all about Barbara and Toby had to be explained, and a great weight
fell from Tim's heart when he quite understood that the old woman was a
real home friend--that there would no longer be any puzzle or difficulty
as to how to do or which way to go, now that they had fallen in with
this trusty protector.

"To be sure--well now this _are_ a piece of luck, and no mistake," he
repeated, one big smile lighting up all his pleasant face. But suddenly
it clouded over.

"Then, ma'am, if you please, would it be better for me not to come no
further? Would I be in the way, maybe?"

The children set up a cry before Barbara had time to reply.

"No, no, Tim; you _must_ come. Grandpapa and Grandmamma will always take
care of Tim, 'cos he's been so good to us--won't they, Barbara?"

Barbara looked rather anxious. Her own heart had warmed to the orphan
boy, but she did not know how far she was justified in making promises
for other people.

"I dursn't go back to Monkhaven," said Tim; "they'd be sure to cotch me,
and they'd give it me for a-climbing out o' window and a-running away.
Nor I dursn't go back to Mick. But you've only to say the word, ma'am,
and I'm off. I'll hide about, and mayhap somehow I might get a chance
among the boat-people. It's all I can think of; for I've no
money--leastways this is master's and missy's, and you'd best take it
for them," he went on, as he pulled out the little packet from the
inside of his jacket which he had already vainly offered to Peter. "And
about Peter, p'raps you'd say a word to the old gentleman about sending
him something. He were very good to us, he were; and he can always get a
letter that's sent to----" but here the lump that had kept rising in the
poor boy's throat all the time he was speaking, and that he had gone on
choking dow