He had
still, he believed, threepence in his pocket to pay for the omnibus.
It began to move; and then first, waking up, he saw that he had seated
himself between a poor woman and a little girl, evidently her daughter.
"I am very sorry to incommode you, ma'am," he said apologetically to the
white-faced woman, whose little tartan shawl scarcely covered her
shoulders, painfully conscious of his dripping condition, as he took off
his hat, and laid it on the floor between his equally soaking feet. But,
instead of moving away from him to a drier position beyond, the woman,
with a feeble smile, moved closer up to him, saying to her daughter on
his other side:
"Sit closer to the gentleman, Jessie, and help to keep him warm. She's
quite clean, sir," she added. "We have plenty of water in our place, and
I gave her a bath myself this morning, because we were going to the
hospital to see my husband. He had a bad accident yesterday, but thank
God! not so bad as it might have been. I'm afraid you're feeling very
cold, sir," she added, for Hector had just given an involuntary shiver.
"My husband he's a bricklayer," she went on; "he has been in good work,
and I have a few shillings in hand, thank God! Times are sure to mend,
for they seldom turns out so bad as they looks."
Involuntarily Hector's hand moved to his trouser pocket, but dropped by
his side as he remembered the fare. She saw his movement, and broke into
a sad little laugh.
"Don't mistake me, sir," she resumed.
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