She didn't care to ask him any questions;
dressed as she was, he might answer her rudely. She wanted to see Esther
first. Esther would pity and help her. So she did not go directly to the
"King's Head," but went up the street a little way and came back. The
boy's back was turned to her; she peeped through the doors. There was no
one in the bar, she must go back to the steps of the theatre. A number of
children were playing there, and they did not make way for her to sit
down. She was too weary to argue the point, and walked up and down the
street. When she looked through the doors a second time Esther was in the
bar.
"Is that you, Sarah?"
"Yes, it is me."
"Then come in.... How is it that we've not seen you all this time? What's
the matter?"
"I've been out all night. Bill put me out of doors this morning, and I've
been walking about ever since."
"Bill put you out of doors? I don't understand."
"You know Bill Evans, the man we met on the race-course, the day we went
to the Derby.... It began there. He took me home after your dinner at the
'Criterion.'... It has been going on ever since."
"Good Lord! ...Tell me about it."
Leaning against the partition that separated the bars, Sarah told how she
had left her home and gone to live with him.
"We got on pretty well at first, but the police was after him, and we made
off to Belgium.
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