and onions?â Gloriana said, watching Scaramouch. âFussy, is he?â
âJust very tired, I think,â said Sparrow.
âDonât you look so worried,â said Gloriana, waving a chunk of pie at her then biting into it. âThink of it as sharing, sharing with Mr Bert. Canât have you starve, can we?â
The girl was older than Sparrow had first imagined, about seventeen, she guessed. Although she was so slight and not very tall, her face showed some strain and lines that only come with time.
âAmazing cat, that,â said Gloriana. âIs it friendly, then?â
âHe is.â Sparrow stroked Scaramouchâs head, smoothing the tiny hairs on the bridge of his nose and gently running her fingers over his head, between his ears. He did purr, but only faintly, which was unusual. âHeâs my best friend. His name is Scaramouch.â
âWhatâs a
Skarra-moosh
, then? Or is it like what he does, scares the mouses, eh? Heâs a Scare-a-mouse?â She gingerly scratched Scaramouch under one ear. âBig, inât he?â
Sparrow grinned. âSomeone told me his name meant acrobat, and he
can
do all sorts of tricks. You should see him climbing trees and walking along a rope even â itâs amazing!â
âWell, well. And where are you going, you and the Scare-a-mouse cat?â Gloriana asked her.
âHere, to Stollenback.â
âSo youâve somewhere to stay then? Friends?â
âNo.â
âYouâve got some money though, for lodgings?â
âNo.â
âI see.â Gloriana stuck her hands into the pockets of her voluminous trousers and made a face. âI see.â
Silence fell. They finished eating the pies and watched the people milling around. Sparrow went on stroking Scaramouch and waited to hear his purr grow stronger and waited to hear what the other girl might suggest. She was sure she would suggest something; she could almost hear the cogs and wheels working in Glorianaâs brain.
âI live in Stoâback â thatâs what we call it â and I can take you home with me if you like,â Gloriana said at last, as if sheâd come to a difficult decision. âA kind woman I know, a lady she is, she keeps a sort of hostel here, a hostel for young girls like you who might be lost and in need of help. She donât charge nothing, neither.â
âOh. I see.â Sparrow was immediately suspicious. âNo thanks.â
Gloriana laughed and gave Sparrow a friendly nudge. âI inât going to kidnap you, if thatâs your worry.â
Sparrow tried to smile too, but Betty Nash had seemed kind enough to begin with. It wasnât easy being an orphan; it wasnât easy having nothing more in your life than a cat, a shawl and the name of a shop  â¦Â Why would this hostel keeper, this lady, not charge for rent unless she wanted something in return?
âSome ladies are just kind âcos theyâre kind,â Gloriana said, reading her thoughts. âYouâre angry, inât you? I can see that, but you donât need to be worried about Miss Minter.â She licked her little tongue over her teeth again, probing into a molar, and wincing. âWhat would you rather do? Stay out on the streets and get caught by the codgers or by
real
kidnappers, or come back with me safe and sound where you can at least sleep the night in a proper bed, eh? Itâs tough out here, you know â times is hard in Stoâback.â
âI donât know  â¦Â â
âThey call me Glori,â the girl added. âGlorianaâs a right mouthful.â
âIâm Sparrow,â Sparrow said.
âWell, Sparrow, little bird, letâs get going, shall we?â
Glori knew every back street and turning. She never hesitated as she went down Cottage Road, Meanwood Lane, Spittle Street, even There And Back Again Lane, which was
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