ff," she said, and then she returned to
the subject of children.

One of her chums in the office who used to go out with her every night
to the music-halls got into trouble a year or two ago. As a consequence
she had to marry. And what was the result? Never had her nose out of the
wash-tub now!

The story was crude enough, yet it touched me closely.

"But couldn't she have put her baby out to nurse and get another
situation somewhere?" I asked.

"Matter o' luck," said the girl. "Some can. Some can't. That's their
look out. Firms don't like it. If they find you've got a child they
gen'r'lly chuck you."

In spite of myself I was a little down when I started on my journey
again. I thought the parcel was cutting my wrist and I felt my feet
growing heavier at every step.

Was Maggie Jones's story the universal one?

If a child were born beyond the legal limits, was it a thing to hide
away and be ashamed of?

And could it be possible that man's law was stronger than God's law
after all?

NINETY-THIRD CHAPTER

I had walked so slowly and stopped so often that it was two o'clock in
the afternoon when I passed through Aldgate.

I was then faint for want of food, so I looked out for a tea-shop or
restaurant.

I passed several such places before I found the modest house I wanted.
Then I stepped into it rather nervously and took the seat nearest the
door.

It was an oblong room with red plush seats along the walls behind a line
of marble-topped tables. The customers were all men, chiefly clerks and
warehousemen, I thought, and the attendants were girls in black frocks
and white aprons.

There seemed to be a constant fire of free-and-easy flirtation going on
between them. At one table a man in a cloth cap was saying to the girl
who had served him:

"What's the damage, dearie?"

"One roast, one veg, two breads--'levenpence, and no liberties, mister."

"Sunday off, Em'ly?" said a youth in a red tie at another table, and
being told it was, he said:

"Then what do you say to 'oppin' up to 'Endon and 'aving a day in a
boat?"

I had to wait some time before anybody came to attend to me, but at
length a girl from the other end of the room, who had taken no part in
these amatory exchanges, stepped up and asked what I wanted.

I ordered a glass of cold milk and a scone for myself and a pint of hot
milk to replenish baby's bottle.

The girl served me immediately, and after rinsing and refilling the
feedin