g; and perhaps Paul promised to come to the
Confirmation class, chiefly because of the friendly tone in which he was
invited.

When there, he really liked it. He had always liked what he was taught,
apart from the manner of teaching; and now both manner and lessons were
delightful to him. His answers were admirable, and it was not all head
knowledge, for very little more than a really kind way of putting it was
needed, to make him turn in his loneliness to rest in the thought of the
ever-present Father. Hard as the discipline of his workhouse home had
been, it had kept him from much outward harm; the little he had seen in
his wanderings had shocked him, and he was more untaught in evil than
many lads who thought themselves more respectable, so there was no habit
of wickedness to harden and blunt him; and the application of all he had
learnt before, found his heart ready.

He had not gone to church since he left the workhouse: he did not think
it belonged to vagabonds like him; besides, he always felt walls like a
prison; and he had not profited much by the workhouse prayers, which were
read on week-days by the master, and on Sundays by a chaplain, who always
had more to do than he could manage, and only went to the paupers when
they were very ill. But when Mr. Cope talked to him of the duty of going
to church, he said, 'I will, Sir;' and he sat in the gallery with the
young lads, who were not quite as delicate as Alfred.

The service seemed to rest him, and to be like being brought near a
friend; and he had been told that church might always be his home. He
took a pleasure in going thither--the more, perhaps, that he rather liked
to shew how little he cared for remarks upon his appearance. There was a
great deal of independence about him; and, having escaped from the
unloving maintenance of the parish, while he had as yet been untaught
what affection or gratitude meant, he _would_ not be beholden to any one.

Scanty as were his wages, he would accept nothing from anybody; he daily
bought his portion of bread from Mrs. King, but it was of no use for her
to add a bit of cheese or bacon to it; he never would see the relish, and
left it behind; and so he never would accept Mr. Cope's kind offers of
giving him a bit of supper in his kitchen, perhaps because he was afraid
of being said to go to the Rectory for the sake of what he could get.

He did not object to the farmer's beer, which was sometimes given him
when