I am very hungry and tired," replied Oliver: the tears standing in his
eyes as he spoke. "I have walked a long way. I have been walking these
seven days."

"Walking for sivin days!" said the young gentleman. "Oh, I see. Beak's
order, eh? But," he added, noticing Oliver's look of surprise, "I
suppose you don't know what a beak is, my flash com-pan-i-on."

Oliver mildly replied that he had always heard a bird's mouth described
by the word beak.

"My eyes, how green!" exclaimed the young gentleman. "Why, a beak's a
madgst'rate; and when you walk by a beak's order, it's not straight
forerd.

"But come," said the young gentleman; "you want grub, and you shall have
it. Up with you on your pins. There! Now then!"

Assisting Oliver to rise, the young gentleman took him to a near by
grocery store, where he bought a supply of ready-dressed ham and a
half-quartern loaf, or, as he himself expressed it, "a fourpenny bran!"
Taking the bread under his arm, the young gentleman turned into a small
public-house, and led the way to a tap-room in the rear of the premises.
Here a pot of beer was brought in by direction of the mysterious youth;
and Oliver, falling to at his new friend's bidding, made a long and
hearty meal, during which the strange boy eyed him from time to time
with great attention.

"Going to London?" said the strange boy, when Oliver had at length
concluded.

"Yes."

"Got any lodgings?"

"No."

"Money?"

"No."

The strange boy whistled, and put his arms into his pockets as far as
the big coat-sleeves would let them go.

"Do you live in London?" inquired Oliver.

"Yes, I do, when I'm at home," replied the boy. "I suppose you want some
place to sleep in to-night, don't you?"

"I do, indeed," answered Oliver. "I have not slept under a roof since I
left the country."

"Don't fret your eyelids on that score," said the young gentleman. "I've
got to be in London to-night; and I know a 'spectable old genelman as
lives there, wot'll give you lodgings for nothink, and never ask for the
change--that is, if any genelman he knows interduces you. And don't he
know me? Oh, no! not in the least! By no means. Certainly not!" which
was his queer way of saying he and the old gentleman were good friends.

This unexpected offer of shelter was too tempting to be resisted,
especially as it was immediately followed up by the assurance that the
old gentleman referred to would doubtless provide Oliver with a
comfortable pl