mother and Barbara's mother, who had restrained themselves as

much as possible, burst out sobbing and weeping afresh. Poor Kit

could not help joining them, and not one of them could speak a word.

During this melancholy pause, the turnkey read his newspaper with a

waggish look (he had evidently got among the facetious paragraphs)

until, happening to take his eyes off for an instant, as if to get by dint

of contemplation at the very marrow of some joke of a deeper sort than

the rest, it appeared to occur to him, for the first time, that somebody

was crying.

Now, ladies, ladies,' he said, looking round with surprise, 'I'd advise

you not to waste time like this. It's allowanced here, you know. You

mustn't let that child make that noise either. It's against all rules.'

I'm his poor mother, sir,' - sobbed Mrs Nubbles, curtseying humbly,

and this is his brother, sir. Oh dear me, dear me!'

Well!' replied the turnkey, folding his paper on his knee, so as to get

with greater convenience at the top of the next column. 'It can't be

helped you know. He ain't the only one in the same fix. You mustn't

make a noise about it!'

With that he went on reading. The man was not unnaturally cruel or

hard-hearted. He had come to look upon felony as a kind of disorder,

like the scarlet fever or erysipelas: some people had it - some hadn't -

just as it might be.

'Oh! my darling Kit,' said his mother, whom Barbara's mother had

charitably relieved of the baby, 'that I should see my poor boy here!'

'You don't believe that I did what they accuse me of, mother dear?'

cried Kit, in a choking voice.

'I believe it!' exclaimed the poor woman, 'I that never knew you tell a

lie, or do a bad action from your cradle - that have never had a

moment's sorrow on your account, except it was the poor meals that

you have taken with such good humour and content, that I forgot how

little there was, when I thought how kind and thoughtful you were,

though you were but a child! - I believe it of the son that's been a

comfort to me from the hour of his birth until this time, and that I

never laid down one night in anger with! I believe it of you Kit! - '

Why then, thank God!' said Kit, clutching the bars with an

earnestness that shook them, 'and I can bear it, mother! Come what

may, I shall always have one drop of happiness in my heart when I

think that you said that.'

The Old Curiosity Shop