Chapter XX

Day after day as he bent his steps homeward, returning from some

new effort to procure employment, Kit raised his eyes to the window of

the little room he had so much commended to the child, and hoped to

see some indication of her presence. His own earnest wish, coupled

with the assurance he had received from Quilp, filled him with the

belief that she would yet arrive to claim the humble shelter he had

offered, and from the death of each day's hope another hope sprung

up to live to-morrow.

I think they must certainly come to-morrow, eh mother?' said Kit,

laying aside his hat with a weary air and sighing as he spoke. 'They

have been gone a week. They surely couldn't stop away more than a

week, could they now?'

The mother shook her head, and reminded him how often he had been

disappointed already.

For the matter of that,' said Kit, 'you speak true and sensible enough,

as you always do, mother. Still, I do consider that a week is quite long

enough for 'em to be rambling about; don't you say so?'

Quite long enough, Kit, longer than enough, but they may not come

back for all that.'

Kit was for a moment disposed to be vexed by this contradiction, and

not the less so from having anticipated it in his own mind and

knowing how just it was. But the impulse was only momentary, and

the vexed look became a kind one before it had crossed the room.

Then what do you think, mother, has become of 'em? You don't think

they've gone to sea, anyhow?'

'Not gone for sailors, certainly,' returned the mother with a smile. 'But

I can't help thinking that they have gone to some foreign country.'

'I say,' cried Kit with a rueful face, 'don't talk like that, mother.'

'I am afraid they have, and that's the truth,' she said. 'It's the talk of

all the neighbours, and there are some even that know of their having

been seen on board ship, and can tell you the name of the place

they've gone to, which is more than I can, my dear, for it's a very hard

one.'

I don't believe it,' said Kit. 'Not a word of it. A set of idle chatterboxes,

how should they know!'

The Old Curiosity Shop