rge joint of roast beef with potatoes round it was placed in the
middle of the table.

"Are you hungry, boys?" asked my father, addressing Mattia and myself.
Mattia showed his white teeth.

"Well, sit down to table."

But before sitting down he pushed my grandfather's cane rocker up to the
table. Then taking his own place with his back to the fire, he
commenced to cut the roast beef and gave each one a fine big slice and
some potatoes.

Although I had not been brought up exactly on the principle of good
breeding, I noticed that my brothers and sister's behaved very badly at
table; they ate more often with their fingers, sticking them into the
gravy and licking them without my father and mother seeming to notice
them. As to my grandfather, he gave his whole attention to what was
before him, and the one hand that he was able to use went continually
from his plate to his mouth. When he let a piece fall from his shaking
fingers my brothers and sisters laughed.

I thought that we should spend the evening together round the fire, but
my father said that he was expecting friends, and told us to go to bed.
Beckoning to Mattia and me he took a candle and went out to a stable
that led from the room where we had been eating. In this stable were two
big caravans. He opened the door of one and we saw two small beds, one
above the other.

"There you are, boys, there are your beds," he said. "Sleep well."

Such was the welcome into my family.

CHAPTER XXVII

A DISTRESSING DISCOVERY

My father left the candle with us, but locked the caravan on the
outside. We got into bed as quickly as possible, without chatting, as
was our habit. Mattia did not seem to want to talk any more than I and I
was pleased that he was silent. We blew the candle out, but I found it
impossible to go to sleep. I thought over all that had passed, turning
over and over in my narrow bed. I could hear Mattia, who occupied the
berth above mine, turn over restlessly also. He could not sleep any more
than I.

Hours passed. As it grew later a vague fear oppressed me. I felt uneasy,
but I could not understand why it was that I felt so. Of what was I
afraid? Not of sleeping in a caravan even in this vile part of London!
How many times in my vagabond life had I spent the night less protected
than I was at this moment! I knew that I was sheltered from all danger
and yet I was oppressed with a fear that amounted almost to terror.

The hours passed one