I only half
understood the meaning of what I had to resist, but my resistance
led to other unbearable cruelties, and again I ran away. I went
about eight o'clock in the evening. The thought of going back to my
old sleeping places on the stairs was horrible. Besides, for some
days a strange idea had been in my head. I had not forgotten my
friend Jane, and I wondered whether, if I went to Tottenham, it
would be possible to find her. Perhaps she might be well off there,
and could help me. I had made inquiries about the way to Tottenham,
and the distance, and when I left the eating-house I had made up my
mind to walk straight there. I started from Hoxton, and went on and
on, till I had left the big streets behind. I kept asking my way,
but often went long distances in the wrong direction. I knew that
Tottenham was quite in the country, and my idea was to find a
sleeping-place in some field, then to begin my search on the next
day. It was summer, but still I began to feel cold, and this drew me
away out of my straight road to a fire which I saw burning a little
way off. I thought it would be nice to sit down by it and rest. I
found that the road was being mended, and by the fire lay a watchman
in a big tub.
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