"No, sir, nobody," I faltered. "Yes, there is--there's Mr Revitts." "Mr who?" "Mr Revitts, sir," I said excitedly. "He's a policeman, like you." "Ah, that's something like a respectable reference!" he said. "What division?" "What did you say, sir?" "I said what division?" "Please, sir, I don't know what you mean." "Do you know P.C. Revitts, VV division?" "No, sir," I said, with my heart sinking. "It's Mr William Revitts I know." "Which his name is William," he muttered. Then, aloud, "Here, come along." "No, no, sir," I cried in alarm. "Don't send me back." "Come along, I tell yer." "What's up?" said a gruff voice; and a second policeman joined us. "Don't quite know yet," said the first man; and then he said something in a low voice to the other, with the result that, without another word, I was hurried up and down street after street till I felt ready to drop. Suddenly my guide turned into a great blank-looking building and spoke to another policeman, and soon, after a little shouting, a tall, burly-looking constable in his buttoned-up greatcoat came slowly towards us in the whitewashed room. "Here's a lad been absconding," said my guide, "and he says he'll give you for a reference." "Eh! me?" said the newcomer, making me start as he stared hard in my face. "Who are you, boy. I don't know you." "Antony Grace, please, sir," I faltered. "And who's Antony Grace?" "There, I thought it was a do," said the first constable roughly. "What d'yer mean by gammoning me in this way? Come along." "No, sir, please. Pray give me time," I cried. "Don't send me back. Please, Mr Revitts, I have run away from Mr Blakeford, and if I am sent back to Rowford he'll kill me. I know he will." "'Old 'ard, Smith," said the big constable. "Look here, boy. What did you say? Where did you come from?" "Rowford, sir. Pray don't send me back." "And what's the name of the chap as you're afraid on?" "Mr Blakeford, sir." "I'm blest!" "What did you say, sir?" "I said I'm blest, boy." "Then you do know him?" said the first constable. "I don't quite know as I do, yet," was the reply. "Well, look here, I want to get back. You take charge of him. I found him on a doorstep in Great Coram Street. There's his bundle. If he don't give a good account of himself, have it entered and lock him up." "All right," said the other, after a few moments' hesitation. "Then I'm off," said the first man; and he left me in charge of the big constable, who stood staring down at me so fiercely, as I thought, that I looked to right and left for a way of escape. "None o' that, sir," he said sharply, in the words and way of the other, whose heavy footsteps were now echoing down the passage. "Lookye here, if you try to run away, I've only got to shout, and hundreds of thousands of pleecemen will start round about to stop yer." As he spoke he pushed me into a Windsor arm-chair, where I sat as if in a cage, while he held up one finger to shake in my face.