"Yes, indeed, indeed I do--Mr--Mr Warden; and wot I made bold to come yere fur were to axe ef you'd may be help me. I don't mean fur myself, but fur the poor wife. The wife, her 'ad a little 'un last night, and we h'an't never a sup nor a bite in the house. I thought, may be, Mr-- Mr Warden, as seeing we belonged to the werry same club, as you'd may be let me have the loan of five shillings, or even harf-a-crown, jest one harf-crown, and returned most faithful, Mr Warden." Warden laughed loudly. "No; not a shilling, nor a sixpence," he said. "I never encourage drunkards; and as to your belonging to our club, you won't have that to say long unless you mend yer ways." "But 'tis fur the wife," continued Davis. "The wife, as honest a body as h'ever breathed, and she's starving. No, no, it h'aint, h'indeed it ain't, to spend on drink. I'm none so low as that comes to. I won't spend a penny of it on drink. Oh! Mr Warden, the wife and the new-born babe is a dying of hunger. Lend us jest one shilling, h'even one shilling, for the love of h'Almighty God! How 'ud you like ef yer h'own little lad there were starving?" "Look here," said Warden, rising to his feet. "I'm busy, and I can't be interrupted. If you don't leave the room at once I must just put you out I may as well tell you plainly that I _don't believe a word you say_, and not one farthing will you ever get from me." "Then God furgive yer fur the werry _'ardest_ man I h'ever met," said poor Davis. "I think," he added, "as I'd as lief 'ave my chance wid the h'Almighty as yourn, when h'all is reckoned up. I never, never heerd as you did a real kind thing in yer life, and I pity them children as h'is to be brought h'up by you." Warden laughed again disagreeably, and, shutting the door on Davis, returned to his work; but the little incident and the burning, angry words of the despairing man shook him unpleasantly, and his temper, never one of the best, was in such a ruffled condition, that it only wanted the faintest provocation to kindle it into a blaze. This provocation (not a very slight one) came in the shape of his little son. Roy had awakened, and after looking round in vain for Faith, had slid down off the horse-hair sofa. He was thoroughly refreshed by his sleep, and was just in the mood when a very little child, in its eager desire for occupation, may do incalculable mischief.