lled myself with trying not to laugh out."

The puckers in the thin face were so irresistibly comical that Lawrence
found it hard to preserve his own gravity: however, he contrived to
compose his features, and to say, with a touch of severity--

"I can tell why you wouldn't have liked me to see you; it was because
you knew you were doing wrong." Wikkey's face expressed no
comprehension. "It was wicked to cheat Jim, and you were a bad boy when
you did it."

"My stars! why, he could have got 'em from me in a juffy; he was twice
my size. I only boned 'em cos he was such a soft."

The explanation appeared perfectly satisfactory to Wikkey, but
Lawrence, feeling that this was an opportunity that should not be lost,
made a desperate effort and began again--

"It was wicked all the same; and though I did not see you do it, there
was Someone Who did--Someone Who sees everything you do. Have you ever
heard of God, Wikkey?"

"Yes, I've heard on Him. I've heard the Name times about. ('_How_ used?'
wondered Lawrence.) Where is he?"

"He is everywhere, though you cannot see Him, and He sees everything you
do."

"Is he good?"

"Very good."

"As good as you?"

"A great deal better." Poor Lawrence felt very uncomfortable, not quite
knowing how to place his instructions on a less familiar footing.

"I don't want no one better nor you; you're good enough for me," said
Wikkey, very decidedly; and then Lawrence gave it up in despair, and
mentally resolving that Reg must help him, he carried Wikkey off to bed.

CHAPTER II.

The following evening Lawrence found a letter from his cousin on his
table.

"From what you tell me," Reginald wrote, "I should say that Wikkey must
be taught through his affections: that he is capable of a strong and
generous affection he has fully proved, so that I advise you not to
attempt for the present much doctrinal instruction. ('Doctrinal
instruction!' mentally ejaculated Lawrence; 'what does he mean? as if I
could do that;' then he read on.) What I mean is this: the boy's
intellect has probably, from the circumstances of his life, been too
strongly developed to have left much room for the simple faith which
one has to work on in ordinary childhood; and having been used chiefly
as a weapon, offensive and defensive, in the battle with life, it is not
likely to prove a very helpful instrument just now, as it would probably
make him quicker to discern difficulties than to accept truths up