the distance between his own
heart and the one he has to lacerate, is almost a relief.

He himself was not to blame for delay in delivering his message. On the
contrary, his sympathetic perception of its unwelcomeness to its
recipients took the strange form of a determination not to lose a second
in fulfilling his instructions. So deeply bent was he on doing this that
he never questioned the reasonableness of his own alacrity until he had
passed the iron post Dave fell off--you remember?--and was opposite to
his own family residence at the head of the Court. His intention had
been to pass it, and go straight on to No. 7. Something made him change
his mind; perhaps the painfulness of his task dawned on him. His mother
was surprised to see him. "There now," said she. "I thought you was
going to be out all day, and your father he'll want all the supper there
is for hisself."

"So I _was_ a-going to be out all day. I'm out now, in a manner o'
speaking. Going out again. Nobody's going to suffer from an empty
stummick along o' me." He had subsided on a rocking-chair, dropping his
old cloth cap between his feet.

"Whereabouts have you been to, Micky?" said his mother conciliatorily,
to soothe her son's proud independent spirit.

He recited his morning's work rapidly. "Linked an old cock down to
Chiswick Mawl what was frightened to ride in a hansom, till half-past
eleven, 'cos he could only go slow. Got an early dinner off of his cook
by reason of roomuneration. Cold beef and pickles as much as I choose.
Slice o' plum pudding hotted up a purpose, only no beer for to encourage
wice in youth. Bein' clost handy, dropped round on a wisit to Arnty
Lisbeth. Arnty Lisbeth she's makin' inquiry concerning a young tike's
owner. Wrote Arnty Lisbeth out a notice-card. Got Miss Horkings next
door to allow it up in her window on the street. That's how I came by
this here intelligence I got to pass on to Wardle's. Time I was going!"

Mrs. Ragstroar stopped scraping the brown outer skin off a very large
potato, and looked reproachfully at Micky. "You've never said nothing of
_that_," said she.

"Who ever went to say I said anything of it?" was the reply. In this
family all communications took the form of contradictions or
indictments, more or less defiant in character. "I never said not one
word. I'd no call to say anything, and I didn't."

"Then how can you ever expect anyone to know unless you say?" She went
on peeling.

"Who's ev