heart and
soul, that boy loves you."

"Loves me--yes; but that won't do, you know."

"It will do a great deal; a soul that loves something better than itself
is not far off loving the Best. Good night, old fellow."

Lawrence went back to Wikkey, and leant his back against the
mantelpiece, looking thoughtfully down at the boy.

"What did the other chap call you?" inquired Wikkey.

"Granby, do you mean?"

Wikkey nodded.

"Lawrence Granby,--that is my name. But, Wikkey, you must not call him
'chap'; you must call him Mr. Trevor."

"Oh, my eye! he's a swell, is he? I never call you nothink only guvner;
I shall call you Lawrence; it's a big name like you, and a deal nicer
nor guvner."

Lawrence gave a little laugh. Was it his duty to inculcate a proper
respect for his betters into this boy? If he were going to live it might
be; but when he thought how soon all earthly distinctions would be over
for Wikkey, it seemed hardly worth while.

"Very well," he said. "By-the-by, Wikkey, have you recollected your own
other name?"

"Yes, I've minded it. It's Whiston."

"Do you remember your father and mother?"

"I don't remember no father. Mother, she died after I took to the
crossing."

"Do you know what her name was before she was married?"

Wikkey shook his head. "Don't know nothink," he said. Lawrence showed
him the old Bible, but it awoke no recollections in the boy's mind; he
only repeated, "I don't know nothink."

"Wikkey," said Lawrence again, after a silence, "what made you take a
fancy to me?"

"I dunno. I liked the looks of yer the very first time as ever you came
over, and after that I thought a deal of yer. I thought that if you was
King of England, I'd have 'listed and gone for a soldier. I don't think
much of queens myself, but I'd have fought for you, and welcome. And I
thought as I wouldn't have had you see me cheat Jim of his coppers. I
dunno why;" and a look of real perplexity came into Wikkey's face as the
problem presented itself to his mind.

"Did you often cheat Jim?"

"Scores o' times," answered the boy composedly. "We'd play
pitch-and-toss, and then I'd palm a ha' penny, and Jim he'd never twig."
A quick turn of the bony wrist showed how dexterously the trick had been
done, and Wikkey went off into a shrill cackle at the recollection of
his triumphs. "He's the biggest flat as ever I came across. Why, I've
seen him look up and down the gutter for them browns till I thought I'd
have ki