The Cockney Sparrow by Dilly Court

or not they would have a roof over their heads tonight. Fancy stomped off but returned afew minutes later with her arms full of bedding. She dropped a flock mattress, some patched blankets and a couple of pillows in a heap on the floor. ‘I dunno why you should get your own room. I been here ten years, since I was took from the orphanage, and I still has to sleep on the floor by the range.’ She flounced into the kitchen and slammed the door, as if to underline her discontent.
    Clemency could wait no longer. She went out into the area and ran up the stone steps. She found Jack, seated on the ground playing a tune on his whistle; Ma was huddled on the bottom step with her head tucked between her knees.
    ‘I got us a room, Jack. It ain’t much of a place, but until Mr Throop says I definitely got a job, I didn’t dare to tell him about you and Ma. Not yet, anyway.’
    Jack stopped playing and smiled, pointing to his cap that lay in front of him. ‘Twopence, Clemmie. All in farthings, but it’ll buy us some bread and maybe some dripping.’
    ‘Let me help you down the steps. Then I’ll see to her.’ Clemency jerked her head in the direction of Edith, who appeared to have fallen asleep curled up like a robin with its head under its wing.
    ‘I can manage, ta.’ Jack tucked his tin whistle into his pocket and reached for his cap. ‘You see to Ma.’
    She went to wake Edith.
    ‘You should have left me to sleep,’ Edith grumbled. ‘I would have slipped away peaceful, just like them stiffs they find in shop doorways, frozen to death.’
    ‘Stop it, Ma. Don’t talk like that.’ Clemency helped her to her feet. ‘I got us a room.’
    ‘I can’t walk. I can’t feel me feet. Oh, Gawd, I got frostbite for sure.’
    ‘No, Ma. Just put one foot in front of the other and I’ll help you down the steps.’
    ‘Not another blooming basement.’
    ‘Come on, one little step at a time.’
    ‘I could murder a drink. Me throat is so parched I could spit feathers.’
    ‘I’ll get you a cup of tea from the kitchen. Just be quiet, Ma.’
    ‘Tea! I meant gin, or a drop of porter.’
    Clemency remembered the florin that lay untouched in her pocket. Since they weren’t paying rent for the room, she could spend it on food for Ma and Jack. ‘Maybe I can get a drop of Hollands for you, but only if you keep quiet and don’t let no one know you’re in me room.’
    It took some time to get Edith down the steps, but when Clemency finally got her into the room she found that Jack had settled himself on a corner of the mattress. Even in the dim light, she could see that his expression was grim.
    ‘It’s just temporary,’ she said, lowering Edithdown beside him. ‘And at least we’re safe from Hardiman. He’ll never find us here.’
    ‘It’s not right, Clemmie,’ Jack said, shaking his head. ‘You shouldn’t have to bear the burden of the two of us. What happens if we’re discovered? You’ll lose your job for sure. And the worst of it is, I can’t do nothing to help.’ He thumped his hand down on the ticking and a spurt of dust flew up in the air.
    ‘Shut up, Jack. This is just the start. When I gets in well with old Throop, I’ll introduce you and your tin whistle. You’re a better musician than the bloke what plays the flute. Why, I bet if you had a fine instrument like that, you could charm the pigeons down off the lions in Trafalgar Square.’
    Edith leaned back against the brick wall and closed her eyes. ‘Never mind all the chitchat, fetch us that cup of tea, Clemmie, love. Me head’s splitting.’
    ‘All right, Ma. But please keep quiet. Mrs Blunt mustn’t find out you’re here or we’ll all be out on the street.’ Without waiting to see what effect her words had, Clemency opened the door and went into the kitchen.
    To her surprise, the room was now crammed with people. Some of them were seated on the forms at the table, eating their breakfast, and others were standing about, drinking coffee and