I married, too, and though my wife died young she left me my dear little Alice.
Even when she was just a baby her wee hand seemed to lead me down the right path as nothing else had ever done.

In a word, I turned over a new leaf and did my best to make up for the past.

All was going well when McCarthy laid his grip upon me.
"I had gone up to town about an investment, and I met him in Regent Street with hardly a coat to his back or a boot to his foot.
"'Here we are, Jack,' says he, touching me on the arm; 'we'll be as good as a family to you.

There's two of us, me and my son, and you can have the keeping of us.

If you don't--it's a fine, law-abiding country is England, and there's always a policeman within hail.' "Well, down they came to the west country, there was no shaking them off, and there they have lived rent free on my best land ever since.