eneral attention was turned to
the little ones.

"You young scamps!--the `lark' will cost me some thousands of pounds,"
said the doctor.

"Never mind, papa. Just go to the bank and they'll give you as much as
you want."

"More pooding!" demanded Master Job. The pleasant-faced domestic
hesitated.

"Oh! give it him. Act the banker on this occasion, and give him as much
as he wants," said the doctor.

"Good papa!" exclaimed the overjoyed Jenny; "how I wis' we had a house
on fire every night!"

Even Dolly crowed with delight at this, as if she really appreciated the
idea, and continued her own supper with increased fervour.

Thus did that remarkable family spend the small hours of that morning,
while their home was being burned to ashes.

CHAPTER SEVEN.

MY CIRCUMSTANCES BEGIN TO BRIGHTEN.

"Robin," said old Mrs Willis from her bed, in the wheeziest of voices.

"Who's Robin, granny?" demanded young Slidder, in some surprise, looking
over his shoulder as he stooped at the fire to stir a pan of gruel.

"You are Robin," returned the old lady following up the remark with a
feeble sneeze. "I can't stand Slidder. It is such an ugly name.
Besides, you ought to have a Christian name, child. Don't you like
Robin?"

The boy chuckled a little as he stirred the gruel.

"Vell, I ain't had it long enough to 'ave made up my mind on the p'int,
but you may call me wot you please, granny, s'long as you don't swear.
I'll answer to Robin, or Bobin, or Dobin, or Nobin, or Flogin--no, by
the way, I won't answer to Flogin. I don't like that. But why call me
Robin?"

"Ah!" sighed the old woman, "because I once had a dear little son so
named. He died when he was about your age, and your kindly ways are so
like his that--"

"Hallo, granny!" interrupted Slidder, standing up with a look of intense
surprise, "are you took bad?"

"No. Why?"

"'Cause you said suthin' about _my ways_ that looks suspicious."

"Did I, Robin? I didn't mean to. But as I was saying, I'd like to call
you Robin because it reminds me of my little darling who is now in
heaven. Ah! Robin was so gentle, and loving, and tender, and true, and
kind. He _was_ a good boy!"

A wheezing, which culminated in another feeble sneeze, here silenced the
poor old thing.

For some minutes after that Slidder devoted himself to vigorous stirring
of the gruel, and to repressed laughter, which latter made him very red
in the face, and caused his shoulde