ignoring the woman's remarks. "I
can walk now. But did you see my friend?"

"Your friend? Was it one of those rough-looking fellows who came
running down with you between 'em, and half a dozen more hunting them,
and they pushed you in here and ran on?"

"Oh no. My friend is a--Ah! there he is. Drew! Drew!"

Looking white and strange, Andrew Forbes was coming hurriedly down the
narrow lane, when he heard his name pronounced, and looking round he
caught sight of his companion, and hurried to his side.

"Oh, here you are!" he panted. "I've been looking for you everywhere.
I was afraid they had taken you to the watch-house. I couldn't keep by
you; I was regularly dragged away."

"Were you hurt?" cried Frank excitedly.

"Felt as if my ribs were all crushed in. But what about you?"

"I suppose I turned faint," said Frank. "I didn't know anything till I
found myself here, and this lady giving me water."

"Oh, I'm not a lady, my dear," said the woman, smiling,--"only a
laundress as does for some of the gentlemen in the Temple. There now,
you both go home; for I can see that you don't belong to this part of
the town. I dare say, if the truth was known, he brought you here."

Frank was silent, but he glanced up at Andrew, who was carefully
rearranging his dress and brushing his cocked hat.

"I thought as much," said the woman. "He's bigger, and he ought to have
known better than to get into such a shameful disturbance.--What's
that?--Lor' bless me, no, my dear! Why should I take a mark for a mug
of cold water? Put it in your pocket, my dear; you'll want it to buy
cakes and apples. I don't want to be paid for doing a Christian act."

"Then thank you very much," said Frank warmly, offering his hand.

"Oh! if you will," said the woman, "I don't mind. It isn't the first
time I've shook hands with a gentleman."

The woman turned, smiling with pleasure, as if to repeat the performance
with Andrew Forbes; but as she caught sight of his frowning countenance
her hand fell to her side, and she dropped the youth a formal curtsey.

"Thank you for helping my friend," he said.

"You're quite welkum, young man," said the woman tartly. "And if you'll
take my advice, you won't bring him into these parts again, where
they're doing nothing else but swash-buckling from morning to night.
The broken heads I've seen this year is quite awful, and--"

Andrew Forbes did not wait to hear the rest, but passed his arm thro