they may not come back
for all that.'

Kit was for a moment disposed to be vexed by this contradiction, and
not the less so from having anticipated it in his own mind and knowing
how just it was. But the impulse was only momentary, and the vexed
look became a kind one before it had crossed the room.

'Then what do you think, mother, has become of 'em? You don't think
they've gone to sea, anyhow?'

'Not gone for sailors, certainly,' returned the mother with a smile.
'But I can't help thinking that they have gone to some foreign country.'

'I say,' cried Kit with a rueful face, 'don't talk like that, mother.'

'I am afraid they have, and that's the truth,' she said. 'It's the
talk of all the neighbours, and there are some even that know of their
having been seen on board ship, and can tell you the name of the place
they've gone to, which is more than I can, my dear, for it's a very
hard one.'

'I don't believe it,' said Kit. 'Not a word of it. A set of idle
chatterboxes, how should they know!'

'They may be wrong of course,' returned the mother, 'I can't tell about
that, though I don't think it's at all unlikely that they're in the
right, for the talk is that the old gentleman had put by a little money
that nobody knew of, not even that ugly little man you talk to me
about--what's his name--Quilp; and that he and Miss Nell have gone to
live abroad where it can't be taken from them, and they will never be
disturbed. That don't seem very far out of the way now, do it?'

Kit scratched his head mournfully, in reluctant admission that it did
not, and clambering up to the old nail took down the cage and set
himself to clean it and to feed the bird. His thoughts reverting from
this occupation to the little old gentleman who had given him the
shilling, he suddenly recollected that that was the very day--nay,
nearly the very hour--at which the little old gentleman had said he
should be at the Notary's house again. He no sooner remembered this,
than he hung up the cage with great precipitation, and hastily
explaining the nature of his errand, went off at full speed to the
appointed place.

It was some two minutes after the time when he reached the spot, which
was a considerable distance from his home, but by great good luck the
little old gentleman had not yet arrived; at least there was no
pony-chaise to be seen, and it was not likely that he had come and gone
again in so short a space. Greatly relieved to find