"Tantrum, that's it, boy. We should ha' been spliced afore now if it hadn't been for her tantrums. But only to think o' your being picked up in the street like this. And what am I to do now? You've absconded, you have; you know you've absconded in the eyes of the law." "Write to Mary, please, sir, and ask her if it wasn't enough to make me run away." "Abscond, my lad, abscond," said the constable. "Yes, sir," I said, with a shiver, "abscond." "You didn't--you didn't," he said in a half hesitating way, as he felt and pinched my bundle, and then ran his hand down by my jacket-pocket. "You didn't--these are all your own things in this, are they?" "Oh yes, sir!" I said. "Because some boys when they absconds, makes mistakes, and takes what isn't theirs." "Do they, sir?" "Yes, my lad, and I'm puzzled about you. You see, it's my duty to treat you like a runaway 'prentice, and I'm uneasy in my mind about what to do. You see, you did run away." "Oh yes, sir, I did run away. I was obliged to. Mr Blakeford wanted me to tell lies." "Well, that seems to come easy enough to most people," he said. "But I am telling the truth, sir," I said. "Write down to Rowford, and ask Mary if I'm not telling the truth." "Truth! Oh, I know that, my boy," he said kindly. "Here, give's your hand. Come along." "But you won't send me back, sir?" "Send you back? Not I, boy. He's a blackguard, that Blakeford. I know him, and I only wish he'd do something, and I had him to take up for it. Mary's told me all about him, and if ever we meets, even if it's five pounds or a month, I'll punch his head: that's what I'll do for him. Do yer hear?" "Yes, sir," I said. "Now, what's to be done with you?" I shook my head and looked at him helplessly. He stood looking at me for a few moments and then went into another room, where there was a policeman sitting at a desk, like a clerk, with a big book before him. I could see him through the other doorway, and they talked for a few minutes; and then Mr Revitts came back, and stood staring at me. "P'r'aps I'm a fool," he muttered. "P'r'aps I ain't. Anyhow, I'll do it. Look here, youngster, I'm going to trust you, though as you've absconded I ought to take you before a magistrate or the inspector, but I won't, as you're a friend of my Mary." "Thank you, sir," I said. "And if you turn out badly, why, woe betide you." "Please, sir, I won't turn out badly if I can help it; but Mr Blakeford said I was good for nothing." "Mr Blakeford be blowed! I wouldn't ask him for a character for a dorg; and as for Mary, she don't want his character, and he may keep it. I'll take her without. I wouldn't speak to any one like this, youngster; but you know that gal's got a temper, though she's that good at heart that--that--" "She'd nurse you so tenderly if you were ill," I said enthusiastically, "that you wouldn't wish to be better." He held out his hand and gave mine a long and solemn shake.