Regent's Canal, and found herself in a brick-and-mortar wilderness
entirely unknown to her.

Here she felt perfectly safe for the time, for the Clarks, she felt sure,
would trouble themselves no further about her, for she was nothing to
them; and as for Joe Harrod, she had heard them say that he would be
called that day to identify his wife's body at the inquest, and give his
evidence about the way in which she had met her death.

About these unknown streets Fan wandered for hours in an aimless kind of
way, not seeking work nor speaking to anyone; for the words Mrs. Clark
had spoken about the uselessness of seeking employment dressed as she was
still weighed on her mind and made her ashamed of addressing any person.
Towards noon hunger and fatigue began to make her very faint; and by-and-
by the short daylight would fail, and there would be no food and no
shelter for the night. This thought spurred her into action. She went
into a small side street of poor mean-looking houses and a few shops
scattered here and there among the private dwellings. Into one of these
--a small oil-shop, where she saw a woman behind the counter--she at last
ventured.

"What for you?" said the woman, the moment she put her foot inside the
door.

"Please do you want a girl to help with work--"

"No, I don't want a girl, and don't know anyone as does," said the woman
sharply; then turned away, not well pleased that this girl was no buyer
of an honest bundle of wood, a ha'porth of treacle, or a half-ounce of
one-and-four tea; for out of the profits of such small transactions she