to talk to that wretched little beggar, I hope."

"Yes, I am, so please be quiet.--Now, my girl, are you not ashamed to
come out begging in the streets--do you not know that it is very wrong of
you?"

"I'm not begging--I'm selling matches," answered Fan sullenly, and
looking down.

"You might have known that she'd say that, so come on, and don't waste
more time," said the impatient gentleman.

"Don't hurry me, Charles," returned the lady. "You know perfectly well
that I never bestow alms indiscriminately, so that you have nothing to
fear.--Now, my girl, why do you come out selling matches, as you call it?
It is only a pretext, because you really do not sell them, you know. Do
your parents send you out--are they so poor?"

Then Fan repeated the words she had been instructed to use on occasions
like the present, which she had repeated so often that they had lost all
meaning to her. "Father's out of work and mother's ill, and I came out
because we're starving."

"Just so, of course, what did you think she would say!" exclaimed the big
gentleman. "Now I hope you are satisfied that I was right."

"That's just where you are mistaken, Charles. You know that I never give
without a thorough investigation beforehand, and I am now determined to
look narrowly into this case, if you will only let me go quietly on in my
own way.--And now, my girl," she continued, turning to Fan, "just tell me