ill
her own stomach first."

"But, please, sir, won't you let our Tommy out first?" cried Jerry, as
the strong woman lapped up the two youngest in her woolsey apron and ran
off with them. "He has been so good, and he was too proud to cry so soon
as ever he found out that mother couldn't hear him. And I gave him the
most to eat of anybody else, because of him being the biggest, sir. It
was all as black as ink, going under the door; but Tommy never minded."

"Wonderful merit! While you were eating tallow! Show me the coal-cellar,
and out he comes. But why don't you speak of your poor mother, child?"

The child, who had been so brave, and clever, self-denying, laborious,
and noble, avoided his eyes, and began to lick her spoon, as if she had
had enough, starving though she was. She glanced up at the ceiling, and
then suddenly withdrew her eyes, and the blue lids trembled over them.
Mordacks saw that it was childhood's dread of death. "Show me where
little Tommy is," he said; "we must not be too hard upon you, my dear.
But what made your mother lock you up, and carry on so?"

"I don't know at all, sir," said Geraldine.

"Now don't tell a story," answered Mr. Mordacks. "You were not meant
for lies; and you know all about it. I shall just go away if you tell
stories."

"Then all I know is this," cried Jerry, running up to him, and
desperately clutching at his riding coat; "the very night dear father
was put into the pit-hole--oh, hoo, oh, hoo, oh, hoo!"

"Now we can't stop for that," said the general factor, as he took her up
and kissed her, and the tears, which had vainly tried to stop, ran out
of young eyes upon well-seasoned cheeks; "you have been a wonder; I am
like a father to you. You must tell me quickly, or else how can I cure
it? We will let Tommy out then, and try to save your mother."

"Mother was sitting in the window, sir," said the child, trying strongly
to command herself, "and I was to one side of her, and Tommy to the
other, and none of us was saying anything. And then there came a bad,
wicked face against the window, and the man said, 'What was it you said
to-day, ma'am?' And mother stood up--she was quite right then--and she
opened the window, and she looked right at him, and she said, 'I spoke
the truth, John Cadman. Between you and your God it rests.' And the man
said, 'You shut your black mouth up, or you and your brats shall all go
the same way. Mind one thing--you've had your warning.' Then mot