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child. John had seen a few of them and it had moved him to tears. A button, a brooch, a lock of hair; how wretched the girls must have been to give up their children in this sad and melancholy situation.
    He looked at the unhappy, skinny, snotty, tiny boy standing before him and said very seriously, ‘Yes, she must.’
    â€˜Anyway, when I was eight I had to leave and go to work and they got me a job as a kitchen boy in a big house. But the head footman beat me – and the cook – so I runs away and steals the papers from Master Hazell, wot was bulging out of ’is pocket, and I thought I would come here first, seeing that I’ve always been interested in herbs and the like. But it didn’t work, like nothing ever does and . . .’
    The child collapsed into tears once more.
    The Apothecary ignored them and asked, ‘Can you read and write?’
    â€˜Oh yes, Sir,’ the boy snivelled. ‘They taught us all that at Coram’s. That’s how I knew about the headmaster and to come here and all.’
    â€˜How old are you? And I want the truth this time.’
    â€˜Nearly twelve, Sir.’
    John turned to Robin, who had been watching all this with red cheeks and an extremely sad expression.
    â€˜What shall I do with him, Master Hazell?’
    â€˜You can’t turn him out on the streets, Sir. It wouldn’t be right.’
    â€˜No.’
    John looked thoughtful and the boy, sensing hope, gazed at him, suddenly bright-eyed.
    â€˜Tell me,’ said the Apothecary, still not smiling. ‘Is it your custom to thieve?’
    The boy looked startled, his weepy eyes opening wide. ‘No, Sir, honest, I never done it before. I was desperate.’
    â€˜I believe him, Sir,’ interrupted Robin. ‘I mean to say you only have to look at him. He’s thoroughly wretched.’
    â€˜I tend to agree,’ said John, still keeping up his act of extreme severity, though, head averted from the child, he winked one vivid eye at Master Hazell. He turned back to the boy. ‘What is your name?’
    â€˜Frederick, Sir. After the King’s father.’
    At last a grin spread over John’s features as he thought of this highly unlikely pair of people. Frederick, so anxious to please, grinned toothily in reply, but the anxiety showed through the smile and the Apothecary knew that he was going to make a fool of himself once again.
    â€˜All right,’ he said sternly. ‘I am going to give you a chance, Fred. I may call you that, mayn’t I?’
    Fred nodded, his expression hovering between hope and despair.
    â€˜I am going to offer you the job of general factotum in this establishment. No, don’t say a word until I have explained. In the apartment upstairs live some law students who need someone to clean up and look after them. Also, I shall need someone to assist Master Hazell with the general keeping of good order in this establishment. Now, if so much as a leaf goes missing from one of the herbs, if the students complain that their money is short, then out you go and no two ways about it. Do you understand?’
    â€˜Oh yes, Sir. Oh thank you, Sir. You’ve saved my life, Sir. Honest you have.’
    John rearranged his features in an effort to look stern again but had to give up. Fred was staring at him with such an honest look that, once more, the Apothecary felt his heart melt.
    However, he spoke seriously. ‘You will be answerable to my chief apprentice, Mr Purle. He will report your behaviour direct to me and I shall ask him for regular bulletins. Now, Fred, there is a very small bedroom in the attic, above the lawyers’ rooms. You may sleep there. As for food, you shall eat with the other apprentices and build yourself up.’
    Fred opened his mouth to speak but John had already addressed himself to the red-headed youth who was now waiting anxiously.
    â€˜Master Hazell,’ he said, ‘you can go home and