He had crossed from Regent Street through Hanover Square, and as he came out by the iron gates into Oxford Street, a poor wretched girl, lightly clad in thin raiment, into whose bones the sharp freezing air was penetrating, asked him for money. Would he give her something to get drink, so that for a moment she might feel the warmth of her life renewed? Such midnight petitions were common enough in his ears, and he was passing on without thinking of her. But she was urgent, and took hold of him. "For love of God," she said, "if it's only a penny to get a glass of gin! Feel my hand,--how cold it is." And she strove to put it up against his face.
He looked round at her and saw that she was very young,--sixteen, perhaps, at the most, and that she had once,--nay very lately,--been exquisitely pretty. There still lingered about her eyes some remains of that look of perfect innocency and pure faith which had been hers not more than twelve months since. And now, at midnight, in the middle of the streets, she was praying for a pennyworth of gin, as the only comfort she knew, or could expect!

He had crossed from Regent Street through Hanover Square, and as he came out into Oxford Street, a poor wretched girl in thin clothing asked him for money. Would he give her something to get drink, so that for a moment she might feel warm?
Such midnight petitions were common, and he was passing on when she took hold of him.
"For love of God," she said, "it's only a penny to get a glass of gin! Feel my hand, how cold it is." And she put it up against his face.
He looked round at her and saw that she was very young - sixteen, perhaps, at the most, and that she had once been exquisitely pretty. There still lingered about her eyes some remains of that look of innocence which had been hers twelve months since. And now, at midnight, in the streets, she was praying for a pennyworth of gin, as the only comfort she could expect!
