In a thoughtful attempt to dispel Emma’s brooding countenance, Nelly raised another issue that was close to Emma’s heart, that of a young woman, a thief they had encountered at the Liverpool docks on their return to England some three years ago. The unfortunate girl in question had cunningly outwitted the police officer who apprehended her, then, much to Nelly and Emma’s relief, had made good her escape, giving Emma a cheeky wink as she fled past them with a grubby child held fast to her thin, ragged figure. Emma had since agonized over the young woman’s plight and when, a little over a month ago, Nelly had caught sight of that pathetic soul scouring the market-place here in Blackburn, Emma had implored her to enquire after her. ‘Nelly… we must find her and make life more bearable for her and the child.’ She had not been surprised when Nelly pointed out, ‘Oh, but she has two nippers now… the first one big enough to run as fast as ever her mammy can, and a little scrawny thing clinging to her like a monkey.’

‘What I really came to tell you’ – Nelly’s chirpy voice shattered Emma’s painful thoughts – ‘was that I didn’t have no luck at all in finding that young woman. Nobody seems to know who she is… or, if they do, they’re not about to tell no stranger.’ She snorted with disgust. ‘Hmh!… it ain’t as though I look like a villain or a troublemaker, is it, eh…? On top of which I even offered the buggers a handful of silver for any information regarding her whereabouts. Huh!… the way they stared at me anybody’d think I’d been sent by the law or sommat!’ The idea was shocking to Nelly who, many years ago, had herself perfected the art of ‘defying the law’ at every opportunity.

‘Did you find no one who might help?’ asked Emma anxiously. ‘Did you explain that you were on a kindly errand… that you meant her no harm?’

‘Course I did… till I were blue in the face,’ Nelly replied with an injured look, which soon gave way to a deep, thoughtful expression as she went on, ‘Funny thing, though… how them bargees along the wharf clammed up the minute I described her, and I’ll tell you what, Emma me old darling… I ain’t finished with the buggers yet!’

‘Oh, you must keep trying, Nelly… keep on trying till you find her,’ urged Emma, her own troubles fading beneath the visions which now flitted through her mind: a young girl burdened with a child, both ragged and hungry-looking. It pained her to think that the poor unfortunate now had another mouth to feed and, according to Nelly, was ‘every bit as thin and scruffy as the first time we saw her’. She recalled how the girl had winked at her even as she had led the police officer a merry dance. What a striking face she had, with those big black eyes and strong features. Something about her had touched Emma’s heart. ‘We mustn’t give up,’ she told Nelly now, ‘I won’t rest until we’ve found her.’