They followed me quietly to my room. Their eyes dilated when they saw the fire, upon which I threw a fresh supply of coals. "God bless you, sir!" said the woman, drawing the children to the fire, before which the man was already crouching. True enough, there were seven of them. Man, woman, and five children, the youngest a baby, the eldest not more than seven years of age. A gruesome lot. Starving, cunning, in rags; but there was a soft light in the woman's eyes; she was grateful for the warmth and the prospect of food. The man's eyes were watching me greedily. "Where is it, master?" "Where is what?" "The grub you promised us." "You shall have it presently." I noticed that the children's clothes were drying on them, and I suggested to the woman that she should take them off. "I've nothing to wrap 'em in, master," she said. I went into my bedroom, and brought back sheets and blankets, which I gave to the woman. She took them in silence, and carried out my suggestion. I then made two or three journeys to the larder, and brought up the food I found there, bread, butter, meat, and the remains of a pie. When I came up for the last time I saw the man standing, looking round the room. "He ain't took nothing, master," said the woman, "and sha'n't." I nodded, and the man resumed his recumbent position before the fire. I handed them the food, and they devoured it wolfishly. They ate more like animals than human beings. "Can't you treat us to a mug of beer, master?" asked the man. "I have no beer," I replied. "I think I can find some tea, if you would like to have it." "It's the best thing you could give us, master," said the woman, "and we shall be thankful for it." "It's better than nothing," said the man, and was pleased to confess, after he had disposed of a couple of cups--which he emptied down his throat rather than drank--that I might have offered him something worse. When they had eaten their fill they lay down to rest, and in less than three minutes the whole party were fast asleep. "Truly," I thought, as I gazed upon them, "nature has its compensations!" They went away, as they had promised, at sunrise, and when I gave the woman a few silver coins, she said gratefully, "Thank you, master. We're right for four good days, Jim." I watched them from the gates. They had with them the remains of the food, and were eating it as they walked, and talking in gay tones. I experienced a sensation of pleasure. The world was not devoid of sweetness. CHAPTER III. Thus my life went on until I grew to manhood, and then two grave events befell, following close upon each other's heels. First, my father died. He was absent from home at the time, and we had had no forewarning of the loss. I do not know whether his errand when he left us, to be away, he said, for four or five weeks, was one of pleasure or business. Quite suddenly, before the time had elapsed, I was summoned to my mother's room by Mrs. Fortress.