that it is impossible to find a
drunkard who can so much as listen to another person; he is inexorably
impelled to utter forth _his_ views with more or less incoherence.

Devine, the tender husband, the kind father, became a mere slinker, a
haunter of tap-rooms, a weed. Sometimes he was lucky enough to win a
pound or two on a race, and that was his only means of support. The
children were ragged; Letty tried to live on tea and bread, but the lack
of food soon brought her low, and from sheer weakness she became a
pitiful slattern.

Mr. Billiter was informed that a woman "like a beggar" wanted to see him
particularly. He was about to order her off at first, but he finished by
going to the door, and the beggar-woman went on her knees to him. He
trembled; then he fairly lifted the poor soul up in his arms and sobbed
hard. "My gal, my pooty as was. My little gal. To think as you never
come before you was like this. I've bin dead since you was away. My 'art
was dead, my little gal. And you're goin' away no more, never no more,
with no hactors. Sit down. Give me that shawl. Lord bless me, it's a
dish clout! And your neck's like a chicken's, and your breasts is all
flat, as was round as could be. O me!"

But the good fellow's moanings soon fell on deaf ears, for Letty
fainted. When she came round, the servants fed her, and she began to cry
for the children. "Children if you like, but never him," said Billiter;
and he at once drove off to bring his darling's ragged little ones home.

Devine was snoring on the floor when the old tradesman entered the
lodging. There was no fire, no furniture, no food, and the half-naked
children were huddled together for warmth. The youngest two screamed
when a rough man came in, for they thought it was the brokers once more.
Billiter sent the eldest out for a candle, which he stuck in an empty
gin-bottle. He looked at the snoring drunkard, and gave him a
contemptuous push with his foot; but the one little boy screamed, "You
not touch my dada, you bad man!" and the old fellow was instantly
ashamed. He said, "Now, my little dears, I want you to come to your
mamma. She sent me for you. We'll all go away in a warm carriage, and
you'll have something warm and nice to eat. Put the youngsters' clothes
on, my gal."

"We've none of us got any clothes, sir."

"My God! Here, you sir--wake up. Sit against the wall. Do you see me?
I've got your wife at home, and I'm going to take these kids. You'll
hea