Susie promised to do so, hoping the answer would be favourable, for she thought she should be very comfortable working under such a kind mistress; and then the wages offered—eighteen-pence a week and her breakfast and dinner—seemed to promise almost riches. Her heart was light although it trembled with anxious expectation as she went through the shop again. Just as she reached the street she noticed there was a little commotion lower down—a group of boys and girls, and a policeman half dragging, half carrying somebody along. Susie's heart almost stood still as she caught sight of the little ragged culprit, and she could only totter forward a few steps past the grocer, who had stepped out on to the pavement, when she became sure it was Elfie in the policeman's hands! "O Elfie, Elfie I what is it; what is the matter?" said Susie, darting forward. At the sound of her voice Elfie ceased her struggles. "Go away, Susie," she muttered hoarsely, staring at her wildly. "No, no, I can't go away," said Susie, trying to catch hold of her frock. "Tell me what it is, Elfie." "No need to ask what it is," laughed two or three boys: "she's a regular little thief, she is; but she's caught at last, and serve her right." Elfie looked defiant, and renewed her kicking and struggling; but Susie burst into tears. "Oh, don't take her away," she sobbed, appealing to the policeman; "oh, please let her come home with me, and she'll never do it any more." "Home with you!" said the man roughly. "Then you're one of the Fisher Lane thieves too, I suppose?" Susie's pale face flushed and a look of shame stole over it; but still she did not attempt to leave Elfie's side, although she knew all that crowd of boys and girls were staring at her and calling her a thief as well as Elfie. "Why don't you go away, Susie? I don't want you; I never want to see you any more," said Elfie, in a hard, defiant tone. But Susie did not go away. They had got into the broad open road now, and everybody turned to look at them—looks that seemed to crush poor Susie and make her heart almost stand still with horror and anguish; but still she kept on walking in the centre of the little crowd. "If Elfie has been stealing, you must take me up too," she said to the policeman, "for I had part of the money." "I daresay you did. There's a nice lot of thieves round in Fisher's Lane, I know," said the man. And as the gates of the police station were reached, he took good care that they should close on Susie too. She had no wish to escape, although she trembled as they entered a room where another man asked their names and where they lived.