had worn it before her, she might not have enjoyed so much solid
satisfaction in wearing it, but though she had been told that it was an
unredeemed pledge she would not have known what it meant.

It was a dry afternoon, though cloudy and cold. It was so near Christmas
that the shops were gay with Christmas goods; but in those who have no
money to spend in such luxuries, the Christmas display can only awaken a
dull feeling of envy and discontent. By dint of much asking, after
leaving the car, Gladys found the street where the Hepburns lived. It
was not so squalid as the immediate neighbourhood of her own home, but
it was inexpressibly dreary--one of these narrow long streets, with high
'lands' on either side, entered by common stairs, and divided into very
small houses. Outwardly it looked even respectable, and was largely
occupied by the poorer labouring class, who often divided their abodes
by letting them out to lodgers. It was one of the streets, indeed, where
the overcrowding had attracted the serious consideration of the
authorities.

A bitter wind, laden with the promise of snow, swept through it from end
to end, and caught Gladys in the teeth as she entered it. It was not a
very cheerful welcome, and Gladys looked with compassion upon the
children playing on the pavement and about the doorways, but scantily
clad, though their blue fingers and pinched faces did not seem to damp
their merriment. The child-heart, full of glee and ready for laughter,
always will assert itself, even in the most unfavourable circumstances.
Round the door which Gladys desired to enter, a little band of boys and
girls were engaged playing the interesting game of 'Here's the Robbers
passing by,' and Gladys stood still, watching them with a kind of quiet,
tender interest, trying to understand the words, to which they gave many
strange meanings. They grew shy of the scrutiny by and by, and the spell