hard, he _would_ do it, and when I looked at them
their necks were bleeding white milk, and I picked up all the heads,
and I made Nobbles dig and dig their graves, and we buried them all.'

Lady Isobel tried to look shocked.

Bobby had a bewitching smile, and twinkles of humour all over his face
when he was giving free play to his imagination. He continued with a
slow shake of his head as he looked down upon Nobbles meditatively.

'I tells him he mustn't be so fond of cutting off people's heads. You
see he loves fighting. He's been a soger over the sea. He went into
battle and cut off twenty fousand en'mies one day!'

Bobby stole a look up through his long lashes at Lady Isobel to see how
she took this. Then he gained courage, and proceeded:

'Nobbles tells me I needn't never be 'fraid of lions or tigers or
village boys, for he'd whack them all round, and the cocks and hens all
rush away when they see me and Nobbles coming! Once in the land where
the Indians are, Nobbles walked out in the night by hisself--he always
walks when nobody sees him you know--and he met an army coming frough
the jungle. They was all black men, and they were coming to kill all
the white people and burn their houses; he just told them to get in one
'normous line, and he swished, and swished, and cut off their heads
just like the dandelions, and then he walked back to bed and next
morning, when everybodies knew what he'd done, they all called out
hurrah, and gave him a gold crown. Nobbles said it hurt him, so he
left it in a tree, and he likes his red cap best!'

'He looks very brave,' said Lady Isobel. 'May I hold him in my hand?'

'Just for one minute you may; but Nobbles doesn't like no one but
me--no one 'cept father. Nobbles reely loves him!'

It was the same with all Bobby's stories; they invariably turned upon
his absent father. Lady Isobel walked by his side and wondered much if
the absent father knew what a wealth of love and devotion was awaiting
him in his little son's heart and hopes.

Bobby enjoyed every minute of that visit of his. He talked without
stopping; and Lady Isobel's grave sadness began to melt away. When
Nurse at length came respectfully out of the house to take him home,
she found the young widow and the child engaged in a merry game of
'touch-wood.'

'Oh, Nurse!' cried Bobby reproachfully, 'we're having such fun. I
never has anyone to play with me like this?'

'You shall come another day,' said