"No home! Stranger in the city, hey? Goo' God, thass bad! Better come home wiz me--yes, by Harry, thass the trick, you'll come home an' hassome supper--hic--wiz me! Awful lonesome--nobody home! Guv'ner gone abroad--Bubby on's honeymoon--Polly havin' twins--every damn soul gone away! Nuff--hic--nuff to drive a feller to drink, I say! Only ole Ham standin' by, passin' plates--damfican eat like that, no sir! The club for me every time, my boy, I say. But then they won't lemme sleep there--guv'ner's orders, by Harry--home every night, sir! Ever hear anythin' like that? 'Every mornin' do?' I asked him. 'No, sir, every night, or no allowance at all, sir.' Thass my guv'ner--'nice as nails, by Harry! Tole ole Ham to watch me, too--servants spyin' on me--whuzyer think that, my fren'? A nice, quiet--hic--goodhearted young feller like me, an' his daddy can't go to Europe--hup!--an' leave him in peace! Ain't that a shame, sir? An' I gotter go home every evenin' an' miss all the fun, by Harry! Thass whuzzamatter now--thass why I'm here! Hadda come away an' leave Kitty--hic--left her cryin', too--whujja think of that, ole sport? 'Lemme go, Kittens,' says I--'come early an' often--I go where duty--hic--calls me. Farewell, farewell, my own true love--farewell, farewehell, my--own true--love!'"

This last was a song, and the young gentleman's voice rose mournful and wailing, while he swung upon Jurgis's neck. The latter was glancing about nervously, lest some one should approach. They were still alone, however.

"But I came all right, all right," continued the youngster, aggressively, "I can--hic--I can have my own way when I want it, by Harry--Freddie Jones is a hard man to handle when he gets goin'! 'No, sir,' says I, 'by thunder, and I don't need anybody goin' home with me, either--whujja take me for, hey? Think I'm drunk, dontcha, hey?--I know you! But I'm no more drunk than you are, Kittens,' says I to her. And then says she, 'Thass true, Freddie dear' (she's a smart one, is Kitty), 'but I'm stayin' in the flat, an' you're goin' out into the cold, cold night!' 'Put it in a pome, lovely Kitty,' says I. 'No jokin', Freddie, my boy,' says she. 'Lemme call a cab now, like a good dear'--but I can call my own cabs, dontcha fool yourself--and I know what I'm a-doin', you bet! Say, my fren', whatcha say--willye come home an' see me, an' hassome supper? Come 'long like a good feller--don't be haughty! You're up against it, same as me, an' you can unerstan' a feller; your heart's in the right place, by Harry--come 'long, ole chappie, an' we'll light up the house, an' have some fizz, an' we'll raise hell, we will--whoop-la! S'long's I'm inside the house I can do as I please--the guv'ner's own very orders, b'God! Hip! hip!"

They had started down the street, arm in arm, the young man pushing Jurgis along, half dazed. Jurgis was trying to think what to do--he knew he could not pass any crowded place with his new acquaintance without attracting attention and being stopped. It was only because of the falling snow that people who passed here did not notice anything wrong.

Suddenly, therefore, Jurgis stopped. "Is it very far?" he inquired.

"Not very," said the other, "Tired, are you, though? Well, we'll ride--whatcha say? Good! Call a cab!"

And then, gripping Jurgis tight with one hand, the young fellow began searching his pockets with the other. "You call, ole sport, an' I'll pay," he suggested. "How's that, hey?"

And he pulled out from somewhere a big roll of bills. It was more money than Jurgis had ever seen in his life before, and he stared at it with startled eyes.