hile. You have done
enough just now; let some one else take your place."

After repairing the buttonless waistcoat with a pin and giving its owner
a caution, Hetty went and sat down on the grass beside the missionary.

"How is Bobby?" asked the latter, "I have not found a moment to speak to
you till now."

"Thank you, sir, he's better; much better. I fear he will be well too
soon."

"How so? That's a strange remark, my girl."

"It may seem strange, sir, but--you know--father's very fond of Bobby."

"Well, Hetty, that's not a bad sign of your father."

"Oh but, sir, father sits at his bedside when he's sober, an' has such
long talks with him about robberies and burglaries, and presses him very
hard to agree to go out with him when he's well. I can't bear to hear
it, for dear Bobby seems to listen to what he says, though sometimes he
refuses, and defies him to do his worst, especially when he--"

"Stay, dear girl. It is very very sad, but don't tell me anything more
about your father. Tell it all to Jesus, Hetty. He not only
sympathises with, but is able to save--even to the uttermost."

"Yes, thank God for that `uttermost,'" said the poor girl, clasping her
hands quickly together. "Oh, I understood that when He saved _me_, and
I will trust to it now."

"And the gentleman who called on you,--has he been again?" asked the
missionary.

"No, sir, he has only come once, but he has sent his butler three or
four times with some money for us, and always with the message that it
is from Miss Diana, to be divided between Bobby and me. Unfortunately
father chanced to be at home the first time he came and got it all, so
we got none of it. But he was out the other times. The butler is an
oldish man, and a very strange one. He went about our court crying."

"Crying! Hetty, that's a curious condition for an oldish butler to be
in."

"Oh, of course I don't mean cryin' out like a baby," said Hetty, looking
down with a modest smile, "but I saw tears in his eyes, and sometimes
they got on his cheeks. I can't think what's the matter with him."

Whatever Mr Seaward thought on this point he said nothing, but asked if
Bobby was able to go out.

Oh yes, he was quite able to walk about now with a little help, Hetty
said, and she had taken several walks with him and tried to get him to
speak about his soul, but he only laughed at that, and said he had too
much trouble with his body to think about his soul--there wa