While this was being done, the policeman who had brought them, whispered to one of the others, and then they were taken to a dark room and locked up. Elfie screamed with terror as the door closed, and they were left standing there in the cold, dark room, with only the rift of daylight that struggled through the grating high up in the wall. Susie shuddered, but she was not so frightened as Elfie, who fell sobbing on her neck. Susie clasped her arms round her. "What is it, Elfie? What have you done?" asked Susie in a whisper. "Just what they said. I've done it many a time," sobbed Elfie; "but I didn't do it to-day, for I saw somebody coming, and put the boots down." "O Elfie! You've been stealing," said Susie sadly. Elfie tried to twist herself away from Susie. "Why don't you say you hate me? I know you do," she said. "No, I don't, Elfie, or else I shouldn't have come to prison with you," said Susie, holding her more tightly in her arms. Elfie yielded to the loving embrace and sobbed again. "That's the worst of it," she said. "I shouldn't care so much for what the policemen could do to me, if you didn't know about it." "But God would know, if I did not," said Susie, in a gentle whisper. Elfie shuddered. "Does God know everything?" she said. "Yes; everything we say and do," answered Susie. "He knows how many times you stole things, although you may forget." "Well, I don't care," said Elfie defiantly. "He don't love me." "O Elfie, he does; and it makes him sorry, and angry too, when we do anything that is wrong;" and Susie burst into tears. "Don't cry, don't cry, Susie, and I'll never do it any more. I'll try and get some honest work, though it is so hard," said Elfie, and her tears broke out afresh. The two sat down together on the hard, cold floor, and with their arms round each other's necks, Elfie promised never to steal again, if Susie would leave off crying and love her still. "I will try to be honest, and mind the baskets, and clean steps," she sobbed. "But they called me a thief when I wasn't; and then when we wanted that twopence for the rent, and I couldn't get it any other way, I thought I'd steal it, only you shouldn't know." "O Elfie, did you steal that sixpence?" asked Susie. Elfie sobbed. "I stole some things and sold 'em to get that," she said; "that was the first time since I'd known you," she added. "Did you steal before?" asked Susie. "Yes, sometimes, when I was very hungry. And they knew it at the Ragged School; that was why I wouldn't go with you," said Elfie, who seemed determined to make a full confession now. "What did you steal?" asked Susie. "All sorts of things—anything I could see in shops and run away with. I never felt bad about it before; but when I took the things to get that sixpence for the rent, I felt I was wicked, and God seemed to be looking at me all the time, though I wanted to forget all about him."