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Chapter Fourteen
I seen mother in a dream last night, she said; she come close to me and axed me what I had done wid Roy. I ought never to have left my little Roy wot mother give me to mind when she was dying; its all my fault as little Roy is lost.
Why thats somut like wot yer father said, answered Meg. He said as he wor a hard man, and it wor his fault. It seems to me that wot you ought both to do is to get down on yer bended knees and pray most bitter hard to Jesus to furgive yer; when He ha furgiven yer Hell let you have little Roy back again.
Faith stared very hard at Meg but made no reply, and Meg having devoured a small piece of dry crust, which remained over from the little which she had put carefully by for Faith to eat while she was out, lay down on the bed and dropped asleep. She awoke in the dusk of the evening to find Faith kneeling by her bed. Faith had lit a little bit of fire, and its cheerful rays revealed a change in her thin face, her eyes had lost their hardness and were full of tears.
Meg, Meg! she said, near hall the time you ha bin asleep I ha bin praying, and I think, I do think as Jesus has quite forgiven me.
Ah! tis jest wonderful how willin He is to forgive, said Meg, and wot cuts me hup so is when folks know that, why theyre allus a fretting of Him.
Well, Ill try not to fret Him no more, said Faith.
Faith, said Meg lying still, and gazing hard at Faith out of her big black eyes, how long ud you say as gals like me, under-fed, under-clothed gals, ud be like to live?
I dunno, answered Faith in some surprise; I suppose same as other folks.
No they dont though, replied Meg; it comforts me a deal to think on it, fur they most sartin dont. Ef theyre wots called lucky and dont catch no fection, and dont meet no haccident, why then they may pull through; they lives then to be werry, werry skinny and ugly. Ugh! I shivers when I sees em; I says to myself, thats me when Im old. But, Faith, the chances ere hall agen gals like me living to be old; let the least bit o fection come to a gal like me, or the werry smallest haccident, so as Id have ter be tuk to orspital, and then where am I? why, no where. You never, never seen a gal like me come hout of orspital, Faithy.
But, Meg, said little Faith, why do you say it comforts you to think that?
Well, and so it do! Why, Faith, Im no use down yere; no one wants me, and I hant never a chance as far as this world goes, besides, besides, and here Meg pressed her hand upon her beating heart, besides, I ha a real hankering to see Him. Oh! to see wid my hown, hown eyes the lovely, lovely face o Jesus! and then perhaps arter a time Hed take a bit o notice of me and say, Is that you, Meg? I know as you love me, Meg.
Faith was silent, too puzzled, too unlike Meg in her own frame of mind to make any reply, and after a time the two little girls went out. As they went down the street which led from the court to the more open thoroughfares, Meg said something which comforted her little companion greatly.
I think, Faith, she said, as well werry, werry soon now see little Roy; I think may be as well find him to-night.
Oh Meg! oh! where? asked Faith.
I dunno, only I feel it. Jest you wait and see.
As Meg said this the little girls turned a corner and came full upon the flaring light of one of the largest
gin-palaces in the neighbourhood.
Lets cross over to it, said Meg. I allus do hanker fur light. Lets get inter the brightness of it.
She took Faiths hand as she spoke and ran across, hastening her steps, for the sound of wheels approaching rapidly were heard.
At this very instant, just as the little girls set their feet on the opposite pavement, a woman carrying a child in her arms came out of the public-house; she walked unsteadily, and unheeding, probably not hearing, the rapidly approaching carriage-wheels, stepped into the street. As she did so her ragged shawl was caught by the wind and flung aside, revealing to view a little childs blue frock, and showing for an instant a golden head pressed heavily on her bosom. Faith saw nothing, but Meg did. The woman was Hannah Searles; the child, little lost Roy she recognised him by his blue frock and golden head. She uttered a joyful cry, and was about to touch Faith, when the sound on her lips was changed to a scream of horror. The carriage and prancing horses were on the woman, who was too tipsy either to see them or to save herself. In an instant she and little Roy must have been killed. Quick, quicker than thought brave Meg rushed to the rescue. She flew in the faces of the excited horses and caught their reins. They swerved in their course, swerved sufficiently to enable woman and child to pass by unhurt, but they knocked Meg down and the carriage-wheels went over her.
Many hours later on the same Sunday evening a group of persons were gathered round one of the white and narrow beds in a large London hospital. On this bed lay a bruised and dying girl. The girl was Meg; the people who stood so close were Roys father, holding Roy in his arms, Faith, and Hannah Searles. Faith and Hannah were sobbing, but Warden, with dry eyes, knelt close, and when Meg at last opened her eyes he placed the baby hand of his little son in hers.