hines, lad--
wonderful machines--and the machines won't work well if they're not used
_all_ over.' Don't that sound grand, mother?"

Willie might have received an answer if he had waited for one, but he
was too impatient, and went rattling on.

"And who d'ye think, mother, came to see old Tippet the other day, but
little Cattley, the clown's boy. You remember my tellin' you about
little Cattley and the auction, don't you?"

"Yes, Willie."

"Well, he came, and just as he was goin' away I ran out an' asked him
how the fairy was. `She's very ill,' he said, shakin' his head, and
lookin' so mournful that I had not the heart to ask more. But I'm goin'
to see them, mother."

"That's right, my boy," said Mrs Willders, with a pleased look; "I like
to hear you talk of going to see people in distress. `Blessed are they
that consider the poor,' Willie."

"Oh, as to that, you know, I don't know that they _are_ poor. Only I
feel sort o' sorry for 'em, somehow, and I'm awful anxious to see a real
live fairy, even though she _is_ ill."

"When are you going?" inquired Mrs Willders.

"To-morrow night, on my way home."

"Did you look in at Frank's lodging in passing to-night?"

"Yes, I did, and found that he was in the station on duty again. It
wasn't a bad sprain, you see, an' it'll teach him not to go jumpin' out
of a first-floor window again."

"He couldn't help it," said the widow. "You know his escape by the
stair had been cut off, and there was no other way left."

"No other way!" cried Willie; "why didn't he _drop_? He's so proud of
his strength, is Blazes, that he jumped off-hand a' purpose to show it!
Ha! he'd be the better of some o' my caution. Now, mother, I'm off to
bed."

"Get the Bible, then," said Mrs Willders.

Willie got up and fetched a large old family Bible from a shelf, and
laid it on the table before his mother, who read a chapter and prayed
with her son; after which Willie gave her one of his "roystering" kisses
and went to bed.

The lamps had been lighted for some time next night, and the
shop-windows were pouring forth their bright rays, making the streets
appear as light as day, when Willie found himself in the small
disreputable street near London Bridge in which Cattley the clown dwelt.

Remembering the directions given to him by little Jim Cattley, he soon
found the underground abode near the burnt house, the ruins of which had
already been cleared away and a considerable portio