"Stop him! stop him!" cries the woman; "stop him, sir!"
Allan, not knowing but that he has just robbed her of her money, follows
in chase, and runs so hard that he runs the boy down a dozen times; but
each time the boy makes a curve, ducks, dives under his hands, and scours
away again. At last the fugitive, hard pressed, takes to a narrow passage
which has no thoroughfare. Here he is brought to bay, and tumbles down,
lying down gasping at his pursuer until the woman comes up.
"Oh you Jo," cries the woman, "what, I have found you at last!"
"Jo?" repeats Allan, looking at him with attention,--"Jo? Stay--to be
sure, I recollect this lad, some time ago, being brought before the
coroner!"
"Yes, I see you once afore at the Inkwich," whimpered the boy. "What of
that? Can't you never let such an unfortnet as me alone? An't I unfortnet
enough for you yet? How unfortnet do you want me for to be? I've been
a-chivied and a-chivied, fust by one on you and nixt by another on you,
till I'm worritted to skins and bones. The Inkwich warn't my fault; I done
nothink. He wos very good to me he wos; he wos the only one I knowed to
speak to me as ever come across my crossing.
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