his, and not another’s? The cottages facing to the Brocas were too fine and too grand for his aspirations. Short of the ambitious way of taking in washing, he saw no royal road to such comfort and splendour; but homelier places no doubt might be had. What schemes were buzzing in his young head as he walked back towards Coffin Lane! He had brought out a hunch of bread with him, which his mother had put aside last night, and which served for breakfast, and satisfied him fully. He wanted no delicacies of a spread table, and dreams of hot coffee did not enter his mind. On winter mornings, doubtless, it was tempting when it was to be had in the street, and pennies were forthcoming; but it would have been sheer extravagance on such a day. The bread was quite enough for all Dick’s need; but his mind was busy with projects ambitious and fanciful. He went back to the lodging-house to find his mother taking the cup of weak tea without milk which was her breakfast; and, as it was still too early to go to his appointment with Val, begged her to come out with him that he might talk to her; there was no accommodation for private talk in the tramps’ lodging-house, although most of the inmates by this time were gone upon their vagrant course. Dick took his mother out by the river-side again, and led her to a grassy bank above the gravel-heap and the workmen, where the white houses on the Brocas, and the waving lines of clean linen put out to dry, were full in sight. He began the conversation cunningly with this practical illustration of his discourse before his eyes. “Mother,” said Dick, “did you never think as you’d like to try staying still in one place and getting a little bit of a home?” “No, Dick,” said the woman, hastily; “don’t ask me--I couldn’t do it. It would kill me if I were made to try.” “No one ain’t agoing to make you,” said Dick, soothingly; “but look here, mother--now tell me, didn’t you ever try?” “Oh yes, I’ve tried--tried hard enough--till I was nigh dead of it----” “I can’t remember, mother.” “It was before your time,” she said, with a sigh and uneasy movement--“before you were born.”