al, with his hands under
his head, surveying the low-roofed but cosy apartment which had been
allotted to him in the mansion of Kinlossie. But the smile gave place
to a grave, earnest expression as his eyes fell upon a framed card, on
which was printed, in scarlet and blue and gold, "The earth is the Lords
and the fulness thereof."

"So it is," thought the youth; "and my power to enjoy it comes from the
Lord--my health, my strength, myself. Yet how seldom do I thank Him for
the mere fact of a happy existence. God forgive me!"

Although Barret thus condemned himself, we would not have it supposed
that he had been a careless unbeliever. His temperament was grave (not
by any means gloomy) by nature, and a Christian mother's love and
teaching had, before her early death, deepened his religious
impressions.

He was beginning to wonder whether it was Mrs Gordon who had hung the
text there, and whether it had been executed by Milly Moss, when the
"get up" gong sent forth a sonorous peal, causing him to bound out of
bed. The act brought before his eyes another bed--a small one--in a
corner of the room reminding him of what he had forgotten, that, the
house being full to overflow by the recent accession of visitors, little
Joseph, better known as Junkie, shared the room with him.

Junkie was at the moment sleeping soundly, after the manner of the
hedgehog--that is, curled up in the form of a ball. It was plain that
neither dressing gongs nor breakfast-bells had any effect upon him, for
he lay still in motionless slumber.

"Hallo! Junkie, did you hear the gong?" said Barret, pushing the boy
gently.

But Junkie answered not, and he had to push him three or four times
gently, and twice roughly, before he could awaken the youngster.
Uncoiling himself and turning on the other side, Junkie heaved a deep
sigh, and murmured,--"Leave m' 'lone."

"Junkie! Junkie! you'll be late for breakfast," shouted Barret in his
ear.

"Don'--wan'--any--br'kf'st," murmured the boy. "Leave m' 'lone, I say--
or'll wallop you!"

A laugh from Barret, and a still severer shake, roused the boy so far as
to make him sit up and stare about him with almost supernatural
solemnity. Then he yawned, rubbed his eyes, and smiled faintly.

"Oh! it's _you_, is it?" he said. "I thought it was Eddie, and--"

Another yawn checked his utterance. Then he suddenly jumped up, and
began to haul on his clothes with surprising rapidity. It was evident