When Miss Robsart came the next morning she found her pupils in a great state of excitement, and she seemed quite as interested as they were in their news.
'I wish I could give you a holiday,' she said; 'and I should like one myself, but it wouldn't be right, so we'll set to work and get lessons done as quickly as possible, and then you'll be ready for your uncle if he comes again.'
'And,' suggested Bobby earnestly, 'you'll put down a nice short little sum for me to do, mostly twos and fours; me and Nobbles does not like the figures past six, they want such a lot of finking about.'
Miss Robsart laughed, but promised she would do the best she could, and lessons went very smoothly on the whole. When they were finished she said a little wistfully:
'I was hoping you would come to tea with me this afternoon, my sister wants to see you; but now your uncle and this Lady Isobel has arrived, you will be occupied with them.'
'I expecks we shall have tea with them today,' said Bobby.
'Will you ask us another day?' asked True. 'Isn't it funny? Yesterday we were quite miserable because nothing nice was happening, and to-day we're too full. But Bobby and I want to come to tea with you very much, we reely do, and we'll ask if you may come to the wedding.'
She jumped up from her chair and gave Miss Robsart a loving hug as she spoke, and Bobby forthwith followed her example. Miss Robsart went away from them with a cheerful face.
Margot dressed them in their best clothes directly their dinner was over. It was in honour of Lady Isobel's expected visit.
'We haven't had a lady of title to the house since we've been in England,' said Margot reflectively. I can't say I've run up much against them, but I believe they're pretty much the same as other folks; still a lady is a lady, and I wants her to see you looking like your dear mother would have you, and you just sit still, now you're clean, and don't dirty yourselves up with playing about.'
'It's like the story mother told us of the two little girls with their clean frocks,' said True.
'Yes,' responded Bobby; 'I wonder how our inside frocks are to-day, True.'
True shook her head doubtfully.
'I s'pose God has suchverygood eyes He always sees spots and stains; but I don't think mine is very bad to-day. I can't remember anything just now.'
'Oh, I can. You stamped when the comb pulled your hair!'
'A stamp wouldn't make a very black mark,' said True. 'You were beating the sofa with Nobbles this morning, and Mrs. Dodds would be awful angry if she knew.'
'That was Nobbles.'
'Ah, that's another spot on your dress; you're making 'scuses, and blaming Nobbles when it was reely you.'
Bobby hastily changed the conversation, and then there was a knock and ring at the hall door, and in another moment Mr. Egerton and Lady Isobel were in the room, and Bobby was in the arms of his friend. She looked younger and prettier than when he saw her last. She was in a long white coat and black hat. A big bunch of violets was in her button-hole.
'Oh, Bobby, you darling, how glad I am to see you again! I can hardly believe I may one day be your aunt.'
'That day will very soon be here,' said Mr. Egerton.
She laughed, and a pink colour stole into her cheeks.
Bobby's arms were tightly clasped round her neck.
'I never did forget you,' he assured her, 'not before your letter came; and my picsher is lovelly.'
'And who is this little girl? Is she your little step-sister? How delightful to have a playfellow. May I have a kiss, dear?'
True willingly submitted to be embraced.
This sweet looking lady won her heart at once.
Then Nobbles was brought forward, and Lady Isobel kissed his little ugly face.
'Oh, how often have I thought of you and Nobbles when I was so far away from you!' she said, sitting down and drawing Bobby to her. 'And do you know, I think it was you who brought your uncle to me. He wanted to hear about you——'
'Oh, come,' interrupted Mr. Egerton, 'we were old friends; you stole my best caterpillar when you were a girl. I remember to this day my wrath when you made your confession.'
'Yes,' said Lady Isobel laughing; 'and I remember why I did it. Because you tied my best doll round the neck of our old gander, and he drowned her in a pond.'
The children were enchanted at these reminiscences, but a shadow almost immediately fell on Lady Isobel's face.
'Ah,' she said with a little sigh, 'that was many years ago. I have been through a good deal since then.'
'And are you reely going to live in grandmother's house?' questioned Bobby.
'Your uncle wants to,' said Lady Isobel softly, looking across at Mr. Egerton as she spoke. 'It is his old home, Bobby; he played in your nursery many years ago.'
'Yes, I know,' said Bobby. 'Tom said "Master Mortimer be a merry young gentleman."'
'Ah,' said Mr. Egerton, knitting his brows fiercely, 'wait till I catch Tom cutting some of my shrubs, he won't find me very merry then.'
'Don't you think you will like to pay us a visit one day, Bobby?'
'I mustn't leave father,' said Bobby promptly. 'May he come too?'
'If he likes; we shall be delighted to see him,' said Mr. Egerton. 'How I wish he was here. Does he have a big beard, Bobby?'
'No, not a little bit of one.'
'But that is quite wrong. You always told me he would wear a beard and carry an axe and pistol in his belt.'
'Yes,' said Bobby; 'me and Nobbles finked quite wrong about him; only he's nicer and better and gooder than anybody else. And we sometimes finks'—he dropped his voice and spoke in a hushed whisper—'that he is nearly as kind as my Father—God.'
No one spoke for a moment. Lady Isobel bent down and kissed the curly head.
'My little Bobby,' she said; 'how happy your father must be to have you with him!'
They talked for some time, and then the children were told that they were going to be driven round to the hotel where Lady Isobel was staying, and have tea with her.
'I want you to know my great friend who has come all the way from India just to see me married,' she said to Bobby with a laugh and blush. We have often talked about you, so you must not feel her a stranger.'
It was a delightful afternoon, and True enjoyed it as much as Bobby. Lady Isobel's friend was a sweet-faced grey-haired lady who was very fond of children, and knew how to talk to them. They had tea in a private sitting-room, and came home laden with chocolates and sweets.
'Margot, just listen! Bobby and I are going to be bride's-maid and bride's-groom, and we shall walk up the church after the bride.'
'I'm sure Master Bobby won't be the bridegroom,' said Margot.
'No, she said a page,' corrected Bobby. 'What's that, Margot? I thought it was a leaf of a book.'
'We shall be all in white,' said True.
'Like angels,' said Bobby.
And so they chattered on, the only regret being the absence of their father.
The next day they had another excitement. They went to tea with Miss Robsart.
For some time past they had looked forward to this, and truth to tell, Miss Robsart was quite as eager as they were for the treat.
She called for them at four o'clock, and they walked to the house in which she and her sister lodged. It was a quiet little street leading out of Kensington High Street. She took them upstairs to a very pretty sitting-room with three large windows in it, one of which was filled with flowers and plants. By the fireside in an invalid chair was Miss Robsart's sister. The children felt shy of her at first, but she had such a bright smile and voice that they soon became at ease with her.
'I have heard so much about you from my little sister Daisy that I feel I know you already. Do you wonder that I call her little? I am ten years older than she is, and she always seems a little girl to me.'
'Now Kathleen, respect my office, and don't be giving me away to my pupils. Bobby, show my sister your wonderful Nobbles, and tell her about him while I get tea ready.'
True was looking with admiring eyes round the room. On the walls hung numbers of beautiful water-colour sketches; there was a piano, two little love birds in a cage, some old carved furniture, and numbers of pretty foreign curiosities.
'I wish we had a room like this,' she said admiringly.
'Ah! but you see this is our own furniture, and that makes such a difference,' said their Miss Robsart. 'We took two unfurnished rooms and put our own furniture into them, so of course it looks homey. And all those pretty pictures were painted by my sister. Before she met with her accident she used to go down to the country and sketch. She longs to do it now, but we cannot manage it. Now would you like to help me get out some cakes and jam from that cupboard for tea?'
True was only too delighted to do something. Whilst Bobby chatted with the elder sister she helped the younger to lay the tea.
And then Miss Robsart was wheeled in her chair to the table, and Bobby and True began to enjoy the jam and cakes provided for them. They talked a good deal about Mr. Egerton and Lady Isobel, and the eldest Miss Robsart asked Bobby about his grandmother's house in the country.
'What a happy little boy you must have been,' she said, 'to have enjoyed a country life! I used to live in the country when I was a little girl, and I have never forgotten it.'
'Why don't you live in the country now?' asked True.
'Ah!' said Daisy, 'we mean to one day, when our ship comes in. If only that time would come soon! And then, Kathleen, you would be able to make some sketches again, and get a sale for them!'
Her sister laughed.
'People would say I could sketch in London if I chose, and perhaps if I were not such a cripple I could.'
'I've seed a cripple do lovelly picshers on the path,' said Bobby eagerly; 'he did them all in red and blue and yellow! How did you get a cripple?'
Daisy looked at her sister anxiously, but she smiled at her.
'I was run over by an omnibus only four years ago, Bobby. It was a frosty day, and I was crossing the road in a hurry and slipped under the horses' feet. I don't think I could sit on the pavement and paint pictures, so I must hope that some day I may be able to get to my beloved hills and trees and water again. Those are what I paint best, and I cannot get them in London.'
'Lady Is'bel can paint picshers of gates and angels and heaven,' said Bobby.
And then he began to describe the golden gates, and Miss Robsart listened with amused interest. After tea they had games of different sorts, and then at seven o'clock they were taken home, having thoroughly enjoyed themselves.
When Mr. Allonby returned to them a few days later there was a great deal to tell him. He took the children more than once to see Lady Isobel at her hotel, and Mr. Egerton got into the way of coming round in the evening to have a smoke with him. Bobby and True thought this winter was a delightful time altogether, and when the wedding-day drew near they could hardly contain themselves for excitement.
It was to be a very quiet one, and the guests were few in number. Miss Robsart was to be one of them. Lady Isobel had met her by this time and took a great liking to her; she went to see her sister, not once only, but a good many times, and when she came round to see Bobby and True the day before the wedding, she said to them, 'Do you know I have my head full of plans for you all? I will not tell you now, but perhaps when the spring comes you shall hear.'
'Father is going away from us in the spring,' said Bobby sorrowfully. Then a twinkle came into his brown eyes: 'Me and Nobbles makes up plans too in bed; we runned after father once, we hided from him in his motor, and then he had to keep us.'
'Yes, but you aren't going to do that again,' said True, looking at him severely. 'Dad is going across the sea; you couldn't follow him there.'
'I could follow him anywheres!' said Bobby earnestly.
'Ah! but you wouldn't like to displease your father by doing so,' said Lady Isobel. 'He wants you to stay at home and learn as fast as you can, and grow as fast as you can. And then when you get quite big and clever you will be able to go about with him.'
'Mother said I was to be his kerpanion,' said Bobby. 'I don't want to go to school.'
'Ah! my plan is better than school,' said Lady Isobel.
She would say no more, and Mr. Egerton, happening to come into the room and hear her, turned the whole thing into a joke at once.
'Yes, Bobby, I'll whisper some of her plans for you. She is going to start a school on new principles. It's a school for grown-ups; you are to be the schoolmaster and True the mistress. You will have to teach the old men how to slide banisters and play hide-and-seek. There will be a class for those who don't know how to make up stories in bed; they must be taught how to do it. Another class will have to learn how to see robbers and Indians when it's getting dusk. It only needs a little explanation and then it is quite easy. True will have to teach the fine ladies to make daisy-chains and drink tea out of thimbles. There is a lot that grown-ups have learnt and forgotten, and a lot they have never learnt at all. And of course Nobbles will give them a rap over the knuckles for every mistake they make.'
Bobby laughed delightedly.
'Go on! Tell us more!'
'I can't. My brain is so frightened at all it has to do to-morrow that it has stopped working. I want to give it a rest to-day, poor thing. It is never very bright. You ask Lady Isobel what she feels like.'
'What do you feel like?' asked Bobby promptly, turning to her.
'Very much inclined to shut myself in my room and not come to church at all to-morrow,' she replied with sparkling eyes and flushed cheeks.
Mr. Egerton shook his head at her.
'If you play me false,' he said, 'Bobby will have to fill his bath full of water, and I will come and drown myself in it!'
'Do!' cried True; 'and then we will take you out and hang you up to dry!'
'We won't be too silly,' said Lady Isobel.
'And a wedding is a very solemn thing, isn't it?' said Bobby. 'Mrs. Dodd telled Margot that she cried more at weddings than funerals.'
'I shan't cry,' said True, 'because I would spoil my white frock.'
She was delighted with her white costume, which Lady Isobel had insisted upon providing. Margot at first shook her head over it.
''Tis too soon after the dear mistress's death to put off her black,' she said; but True had retorted instantly:
'Mother wouldn't mind, I know. She's in a white dress herself now; she doesn't wear black, so why should I?' And Margot was silenced.
Bobby was to wear his best white sailor suit. He had coaxed Margot to buy him a white piece of ribbon with which Nobbles was to be decorated, and he and True spent quite half an hour in arranging it in the form of a rosette.
Mr. Allonby was the only one in the house who did not seem impressed by the excitement and stir about the important event. His face was a shade graver than usual when Bobby went to wish him good-night.
'I am going to cut and run to-morrow, sonny. Your uncle understands. I can't be with you. I shall be out of town.'
Bobby's face fell tremendously.
'Oh, father, I did think you'd come with us. Shall True and I have to walk up the church all alone?'
'There won't be many people there, my boy. And they will send a carriage for you. You won't miss me. Don't look so doleful.'
'Shall I stay with you, father? I would like to 'stremely.'
'No, my boy; I'm going out of town for the day.'
'Do take me with you. Are you going to picnic somewhere?'
Mr. Allonby was silent for a minute, then he said:
'I am going to see mother's grave, sonny. I want to put a stone over it. Can you think of a text she would like written upon it?'
Bobby's face was a picture of sweet seriousness.
'She loved my tex', father. Would it be too long? She made me say it to her before she went away.'
'What was it?'
'"Blessed are they that wash their robes in the blood of the Lamb, that they may have right to the tree of life, and enter in through the gates into the City."'
Mr. Allonby's face lit up with a smile.
'Thank you, sonny; that will do beautifully. I will have it put over her grave.'
Bobby stole up to bed in an exalted frame of mind. When Margot came to wish him good night, he looked up at her with big eyes.
'You go to sleep, Master Bobby, or you will never be ready to get up to-morrow.'
'It's a most wunnerful day coming,' said Bobby, 'but I wish I could cut myself in halves. The wedding will be lovelly, but seeing my very own tex' being written on mother's grave by father himself would be almost lovelier still. He's going down to do it, Margot; he told me so.'
Margot left him, muttering to herself:
'Such a jumble children do make of things! Weddings and graves be all the same to them; they speak of it in one breath, and would as soon be at one as the other! And of all queer children, Master Bobby be the queerest, though I love him with all my heart! That text of his be all the world to him.'
Downstairs a tired, sad man was gazing into the fire and repeating softly to himself the text that was going to be as precious to him as to his little son:
'"Blessed are they that wash their robes in the blood of the Lamb, that they may have right to the tree of life, and enter in through the gates into the City."'
At ten o'clock the next morning two little white-clothed children were standing at the sitting-room window waiting for the carriage that was going to take them to the church.
This was the most enjoyable part of it, for they were going to drive alone, and, when it came for them, they went down the steps proudly conscious that several errand boys, and a few heads out of the opposite Windows in the street, were watching their departure.
Margot did not drive with them, but she was going to walk to the church and witness everything from a back seat.
'Now,' said True as they drove off, 'what do you feel like, Bobby?'
'Very kercited!' said Bobby, sitting back with red cheeks and shining eyes.
'I feel we're going to be married ourselves,' said True; 'or, better still, we're a prince and princess going to a fairy ball.'
'Or,' said Bobby gravely, 'we might be going into the Golden Gates, True. We look quite fit to-day.'
True stroked her white silk dress thoughtfully, then she lifted her bouquet of flowers and smelt them. The bouquet was a lovely surprise to her, as it had only arrived about an hour previously.
'Yes,' she said, 'you always think of the best things, Bobby. 'It would be very nice if it could come true, and we could go straight through and see mother. Do you think she would come to meet us if we did?'
'I'm sure God will tell her to,' said Bobby confidently. 'You see He always is so kind. He'd know we would like to see her.'
They arrived at the church, and to Bobby's astonishment his Uncle James came down the path and took them out of the cab.
'You did not expect to see me here,' he said, 'but your Uncle Mortimer is my brother, you know. Your aunt is abroad, or she would have been here too. Now come along and I'll show you where you're to stand. There aren't more than half a dozen people in the church.'
True and Bobby stepped into the rather dreary-looking church with great awe. A few children had congregated round the doors, but inside the church looked almost empty. Then their faces brightened as they saw Mr. Egerton come down the aisle towards them.
'That's right, youngsters. Tell them where to wait, Jim, and look after them. Oh, how I wish this affair was over!'
He ejaculated this more to himself than them, and paced up the aisle again. Bobby looked after him with perplexity.
'He doesn't seem to like it,' he whispered to True.
'No,' said True, who always liked to imbue Bobby with a sense of her superior wisdom. 'Men always hate waiting for anybody, and Margot says a bride always keeps them waiting, for if she didn't it would look as if she were in a hurry to be married.'
Bobby's Uncle James told them where to stand just inside the door, and presently up drove the bride's carriage. She was very quietly dressed in a grey cloth dress and hat, and was accompanied by an old gentleman, a cousin of hers, a General Seaton. She looked very sweet, but very pale, though she smiled faintly at the children. Then hand in hand they walked up the aisle behind her, and the service began. Bobby recognised Miss Robsart in one of the seats at the top of the church, there was also Miss Denton, Lady Isobel's Indian friend; the rest of the company were not known to the children. Much of the service was unintelligible to Bobby, but he drew a sigh of relief when he saw his Uncle Mortimer take Lady Isobel's hand in his.
'She won't be frightened now he's holding her,' he whispered to True; 'but I seed her hands quite shake just now.'
It was soon over, and the little party went into the vestry. Then it was that Lady Isobel put her arms right round Bobby and kissed him passionately, and when he looked up at her he saw that her eyes were full of tears.
'Aren't you happy?' he asked.
She gave a little sob.
'Oh yes, darling; but grown-up people always have sadness mixed with their gladness,' she said.
Bobby pondered over this. It all seemed bustle and confusion now. He and True drove to the hotel with a strange lady and gentleman who discussed the bride and bridegroom without taking any notice of the children.
'I'm thankful she has married again. She was not cut out for a solitary woman.'
'He's a very decent chap—known her all his life, hasn't he?'
'Yes; I always did think they were attached years ago; but he had no money, and her parents were ambitious and kept them apart. I was at her first marriage, and she seemed almost afraid of her bridegroom, I fancied. I believe affection came afterwards, but it certainly was a match made up by her parents in the first instance.'
'A wedding is a severe ordeal.'
'I love a wedding,' announced Bobby, staring at the speaker solemnly. 'When I grows up I shall have as many as I can of my own.'
The laughter that followed this statement offended him. He relapsed into silence, even though he was pressed to say how many wives he was intending to have. They reached the hotel, and went into lunch with the other guests.
'It is a real old-fashioned wedding breakfast,' said one lady. 'Why have you had the ceremony so early, General Seaton?'
'They want to catch the midday train for the Lakes,' he responded.
Bobby and True were well looked after, and thoroughly enjoyed themselves.
Just before bride and bridegroom departed, Mr. Egerton called Bobby to his side. He was standing by Lady Isobel, who was beginning to take her farewell of her friends.
'Do you think we have behaved ourselves well?' he asked him.
'Oh, I think it's been lovelly!' exclaimed Bobby with rapt eyes. 'Haven't you enjoyed it 'normously? Me and Nobbles have.'
'Let's see Master Nobbles! I really believe, Bobby, that he has had something to do with this wedding. It was he who took you to see Lady Isobel, remember, and she says it was the result of a certain text of yours that took her out to India. If I hadn't met her—well, who knows. Anyhow, I'm a lucky man to-day.'
Bobby was enchanted to think that Nobbles had a share in the wedding. When Lady Isobel bent over him to wish him good-bye, she said:
'I shall look forward to see you soon again, Bobby darling. We're only going to be away about three weeks, and then we're going straight to your old home. I don't think I shall like to go into your empty nursery and not find you there. God bless you, my sweet!'
She had kissed him and was gone. Bobby felt inclined to cry for the first time. Then rice was put into his hand to fling after the carriage, and his spirits rose again.
Miss Robsart took them home, and all the way she and they talked over every detail of their enjoyable time. Even Margot acknowledged that, for a quiet wedding, it was very well done, and that the bride did look the sweetest lady that she had seen for a long time. It was natural that after such excitement the next few days seemed dull and flat, but gradually the children settled down to their lessons, and the weeks went quietly by.
One afternoon Margot took them for a walk in Kensington Gardens. This was always a treat to them; they would pretend they were in the country; and though the trees were bare and lifeless, and there were no flowers in the neatly kept beds, the round pond and the grass and the long walks, which were so good for races, were a great delight to them. They soon found their way down to the pond; for though it was a cold day it was a sunny one, and several men and boys were launching small sailing-boats. Bobby stood looking on with great fascination. There was one boat which took his fancy. She was painted scarlet, and had a miniature Union Jack attached to her mast. A little boy, not much older than himself, was the owner, and he, with a young maid-servant, was watching her journey across the pond with some anxiety.
Suddenly a gust of wind seized her, and she capsized, then she entangled herself in some weed and lay helpless just out of reach. The little boy turned to Bobby:
'Lend me your stick, will you?' he said. 'Jane has run round to the other side with mine. I thought my ship would go straight across to her.'
Bobby handed him Nobbles very reluctantly. The little fellow stretched Nobbles out, but just failed to reach his boat, then he lost his balance, tumbled into the water himself, and though he scrambled out again the next moment, he left go of Nobbles, who floated out of reach at once. Bobby was frantic with grief. He wailed out:
Oh, Nobbles, Nobbles! Save him! Somebody save him!'
Nobody knew who or what Nobbles was for some minutes, and when they did know they began to laugh. Away he floated. Would he go across the pond and land safely the other side? At one time Bobby thought he might, and held his breath whilst he watched him. Alas! he began to circle round and round and finally remained almost stationary in the middle of the pond. And then it was that Bobby burst into tears.
'He'll never come back no more! He'll be drownded; he'll go down to the bottom, and I shall never see him again!'
'It's only a stick!' said a ragged-looking urchin, looking at Bobby curiously. 'You can easy get another.'
'Oh, I can't! I can't! Do get him back for me! I love him so!'
The boy laughed, then surprised everyone by throwing off his jacket, splashing into the pond, and swimming like a fish towards Nobbles.
Of course a policeman immediately appeared on the scene and was very angry.
But when the boy returned to shore and presented Nobbles to his little master, Margot protested against the hard words that were hurled at the rescuer.
'It isn't many boys would get a wetting for a stick, so don't scold him, poor boy! I'm sure Master Bobby is ever so grateful to him, for he treasures that bit of stick like nothing else. What's your name, my lad, and where do you live?'
'"Curly," they calls me, lidy, otherwise John Hart, I lives on my wits most of the diy.'
'He's all wet,' said True, looking at the boy pitifully; 'how will he get dry, Margot; he will catch cold.'
Bobby was so occupied in drying Nobbles with his pocket-handkerchief that he hardly thanked the boy; now he looked up, and was quite as distressed as True.
'He must be dried, Margot; let's take him home; it was so very good of him.'
Margot hurriedly produced her big purse and handed the boy one shilling. He stuck his hands in his pockets and grinned at her.
'I ain't goin' to take a bob for that!' he said.
Margot put back her shilling, the policeman moved away.
'Come along, Master Bobby, we had best go home; if that boy likes to follow us he can, and I'll give him an old pair of trousers that your father gave me to give away. If he's too high and mighty to take them he can go his own way. Many of these London boys dress themselves in rags on purpose to excite pity.'
'Do come home with us,' said Bobby, turning to Curly appealingly.
He grinned, made a dart in the opposite direction, and was soon lost to view. The children walked home soberly, but their astonishment was great when they were going up the flight of steps that led indoors to turn and find Curly standing behind them.
'You are a funny boy,' said Bobby; 'I finked you had gone home.'
'I wish he had,' muttered Margot; 'there's no trusting these sort.'
But she told him he might come in and sit in the hall, and told the children to stay with him while she went to get what she had promised him. True made her way to the landlady to get a piece of cake for him. Bobby stayed by his side and talked, as only Bobby could talk.
'Tell me where you reely lives. I am so very glad you saved Nobbles' life; he's my dearest, bestest friend in the world!'
'He's a rum 'un!' said Curly, regarding Nobbles' little head with some interest. 'Well, when I lives at 'ome it's 7 Surrey Court. Now you ain't no wiser, I bet!'
'I could find it if I wanted to. I'd ask a policeman to take me,' said Bobby confidently. 'Do you go to school, or are you too grown-up?'
'Much too grown-up by long shakes!' said Curly with his broad grin; 'no school for me if I know it.'
'And what do you do all day long?'
Curly winked his eye at him, then said grandly: 'My occypations are warious. Tomorrer I sweeps my crossin' in the High Street.'
'High Street Kensington?' questioned Bobby. 'Oh, I'll come and see you, and walk across your crossing.'
'The day hafter,' went on Curly, 'if it be fine I may be a hawkin' horinges. I likes a change o' work, and another pal takes my crossin' when I'm elsewhere. Day follerin' I may be out o' town.'
'In the country? I wish you'd take me. How do you go?'
'I rides mostly,' said the boy, with another wink. 'I ain't perticlar as to my wehicle!'
'And when you get into the country what happens?'
Curly gazed up at the ceiling reflectively. 'I takes my holiday. On occasions I brings up hivy, and berries, and 'olly, and hawks 'em round nex' day 'stead of horinges.'
'I'd like to be you,' said Bobby admiringly. 'Have you got a father?'
'No, 'e was dead afore I were twelve months old.'
'I've got two fathers,' said Bobby proudly, 'and I especks you have one same as me. God is my Father. Isn't He yours?'
Curly gave a kind of snort.
'That's Sunday-school jaw!'
'It isn't jaw,' said Bobby, gazing at him solemnly. 'It's quite true; and God looks after everybodies who's in His family. And if a boy hasn't any father, God is 'ticularly kind to him to make up for it. Once my father was far away, and God was ever so kind to me. I used to feel He was. He never goes away, so you can always have Him to talk to.'
Margot came downstairs at this juncture and put a parcel into Curly's hand.
'There, my lad, that's for helping Master Bobby. And now run off, for I'm sure our landlady wouldn't like to see you here.'
'Stop!' cried True, coming up the kitchen stairs; 'see what I've got for him! It's scalding hot!'
She was carrying very carefully, in both hands, a cup of cocoa, and Curly's eyes lit up at the sight of it.
'And a piece of cake,' she added, producing a slice from her pocket.
Curly took the cup from her with a gruff 'thank 'ee.' He made short work of both cocoa and cake, then took his parcel and made for the door.
Bobby laid his hand on his coat-sleeve.
'You've saved Nobbles' life,' he said, 'and I shan't never, never forget it.'
Curly grinned and departed.
'They've no manners, those street boys,' said Margot; 'but it was a kind thing to do for you, Master Bobby.'
'He's going to be one of my friends,' said Bobby firmly; 'and I shall go and see him to-morrow at his crossing.'
He accomplished this, for he persuaded Miss Robsart to go with them. She very often took them for a short walk if Margot was busy, and she became interested in the boy at once.
'I have a class of rather ragged boys on Sunday,' she said; 'and if he doesn't go anywhere I will get him to come to me.'
It was rather a muddy day, and Curly was hard at work with his broom when they caught sight of him. He grinned when they came up, and first pretended to be too busy to speak to them; but presently he paused for breath, and stood resting on his broom. Bobby insisted on shaking hands with him, and was ready with a heap of questions to which he expected replies. Miss Robsart, in her bright, happy way, began to talk to him too, and she soon found out that his mother worked at a factory, that he had two little sisters at school, and that he was wanting to get into steady work if he could, only no one would start him.
''Tis the charac'er they'll be on about,' he said, laughing and showing an even set of white teeth; 'they looks at the clothes and shakes their wise 'eads! "Must have a respec'able by," they says; but bless'd if I don't mike more some dys than some blokes dos if they works a week on hend!'
Then Miss Robsart discovered that he had left off going to Sunday-school, and after a good deal of persuasion he promised to come to her class the following Sunday.
As they walked home she said to Bobby:
'I like his face so much; he looks honest; and I shall go and see his home and his mother if I can get at her. We may be able to help him to get a place, Bobby. I always feel so sorry for the boys who have no one to start them in life.'
'I fought God always started us from heaven,' said Bobby.
Miss Robsart smiled. True remarked:
'I don't believe he knows about the golden gates, Bobby. You might show him your picture, one day; and p'raps he'd try to keep himself a little cleaner.'
True never could quite distinguish the difference between the outside and inside cleansing.
Bobby looked up thoughtfully.
'I'll tell him 'bout it. He's going to be my friend, True; and me and Nobbles means to see him very often.'
And when Bobby said a thing he meant it.
The winter was nearly over when a sudden sharp frost set in. Bobby and True were delighted to see the snow fall, and walk out when the pavements and roads were slippery with ice; and, when their father took them to the Serpentine to see the skating on the ice they were enchanted. Then, as the frost continued, he got them each a pair of skates, and gave them their first lessons in the art. He himself was a beautiful skater, as he had done a great deal of such sport in America; and then one Saturday he announced to them at breakfast that he should take them by train to a large piece of water in the country, and they should stay there the whole day.
'We will have a winter picnic; Margot must pack us up some sandwiches, and we shall not come back till dark.'
It was the first time he had proposed a whole day out, and the children were of course delighted.
As they were starting Mr. Allonby looked at his little son, who had skates in one hand, Nobbles in the other.
'I think you had better leave Nobbles at home, my boy; he will be in your way.'
'Oh, please let me take him! He would be so 'normously disappointed if I left him behind; he does love the country.'
Mr. Allonby laughed.
'Have your own way then.'
They set off in high spirits. Every bit of the day was a keen pleasure to them—the train journey, the walk from the station to the old country house belonging to Mr. Allonby's friend, and then the adjournment to the artificial lake in the park, where a large number of skaters were assembled. There were other children there who at once made friends with Bobby and True, and, when luncheon time came, they were asked to come up to the house. This, however, Mr. Allonby declined, and a few others besides themselves preferred to lunch on the banks of the bit of water.
'I like this much the best,' said Bobby, snuggling close to his father; 'it's as hot as fire, isn't it?'
His father looked at his rosy cheeks with content.
'I wish I could give you children an out-of-door country life,' he said; 'that's what you ought to have.'
'Yes,' said True; 'I don't like houses at all. I should like to be a gipsy!'
'When we grows up, father, we'll come over the sea with you, won't we? And couldn't we go to the North Pole and skate? Miss Robsart was telling us yesterday about the poor little fat Eskims—I forgets the name of them—who're in the dark so much. I should like to see them and the whales.'
'I should like the hot places best,' said True, 'where you lie in the sun, and monkeys and parrots swing in the trees above you, and you eat cocoanuts and dates!'
'Yes,' said Mr. Allonby; 'we'll do some travels together later if we're spared. But the North Pole would be a big order, Bobby; it has never been found yet.'
'I espec's God has got hold of it in His hand, and twists the world round with it,' said Bobby with knitted brows.
His father laughed.
'Finish your lunch, sonny, and we'll be moving; your theories are quite beyond me.'
So they took to the ice again, and Bobby flew here and there on his skates, one of the jolliest little figures to be seen.
Later in the afternoon a certain piece of the ice was roped off as being unsafe. Mr. Allonby warned the children not to go near it; and then, only a short time afterwards, a cry and a crash startled everyone near. A daring schoolboy had ventured beyond the rope and crashed through the ice into deep water. Mr. Allonby was close by with Bobby; in an instant he had dashed forwards, and after a breathless minute or two to Bobby, and before others had hardly taken in what was happening, he had dragged the boy safely up again. But, to Bobby's horror, as his father was coming back, the ice gave way in a fresh place under his feet, and he disappeared.
The child raised an agonising cry.
'Father's drowing! Father's drowing!'
Then ensued wild confusion. Ladies shrieked and rushed to the banks, there were loud cries for a ladder or a rope, but, as is often the case in private places, none were forthcoming in the spot in which they were required. In an instant one little figure went to the rescue, strong in his own willingness to save. He reached his father first. Holding out Nobbles to him, he cried:
'Catch hold, quick, quick, father! I'll pull you out! Oh, catch hold!'
Mr. Allonby was struggling to raise himself, but the ice kept breaking under his grip.
'Go back!' he shouted to Bobby. 'Go back!
But for once the child disobeyed.
When he saw his father sink before his eyes he raised a most piercing cry. In the distance they were bringing a ladder. Men were rushing frantically back to get it.
'Father! Father! Don't sink! Oh, do catch hold of Nobbles!'
'Hi, you little chap, you'll be going in yourself! Come back! Give me your stick! Here, Allonby, catch hold!'
Mr. Allonby's head appeared above the surface again, and in an instant the man behind Bobby had placed Nobbles across the hole in the ice. Exhausted as he was, Mr. Allonby gripped it, keeping himself afloat till a few men and boys formed a human ladder, and he was slowly drawn out of his perilous position. Bobby meanwhile was struggling madly in the grip of a youth.
'You little fool, keep still! Do you want to drown yourself! You were within an ace of it a minute ago! Your father will be all right in a minute. See—that's—the way. Hurrah, Selwyn—he's got him. Now pull together—hurrah! He's out, and none the worse, I bet!'
Bobby was screaming frantically: 'I wants to save him. Me and Nobbles can save him!' but when he saw his father rescued he stopped his screams and struggled to get to him. His little face was white to the lips. His father stooped to reassure him.
'I'm all right, sonny. Here's your stick! Come along up to the house with me! I'm too wet to stand about. They'll give me a change.'
He took hold of Bobby's hand and led him to the bank whilst they took off their skates together, and then they walked through the park, young Alan Daubeney, the son of the house, accompanying them.
'It was that little brute, Jim Carlton, he always disobey orders if he can! I'm thankful you were on the spot, Allonby, though it would have been a near case for you if we hadn't got at you when we did. Father will be furious with the gardeners. They were told to have ladders as a precaution, but it seems they left them at the other end.'
'Well, no harm's done. I don't think much of a sousing. I dare say you'll give me a change.'
'Of course.'
Then young Daubeney looked at Bobby.
'Your stick proved useful, youngster; a good thing you were by.'
'Yes,' said Mr. Allonby, with a little smile, 'it was all the support I needed. I should have gone entirely under if I had not had it at that identical minute.'
Bobby did not answer, but he tried to smile. It had been more of a shock to him than to his father, and it was not till he and True were in the train coming home that he ventured to speak of it.
'Father, you were nearly drownded!'
'I suppose I was, sonny, or I might have been.'
'Oh, what should I've done! what should I've done! That awful crackly ice!'
'I wish I'd seen it,' said True; 'a lady had such tight hold of my hand, she wouldn't let me go, and I never knewed it was dad tumbled in. I saw a boy come along dripping wet, and he looked awful frightened. If I'd known it was dad I'd have screamed!'
'Nobbles saved father,' said Bobby in an awestruck whisper. 'I believe he reely did!'
'I think he really did, my boy,' said Mr. Allonby, putting his arm round Bobby and drawing him to him; 'he and you together. We little thought this morning, when I told you to leave him at home, what he would be the means of doing.'
A slow smile spread over Bobby's face. The joy of this discovery quite wiped out the horror of the scene from his mind. He laid his curly head against his father's strong arm in infinite content.
'Me and Nobbles is 'stremely happy,' he said.
And then Mr. Allonby stooped and kissed him.
'Oh, Bobby, what a pity it is that lessons must separate us.'
But Bobby was too absorbed in his happiness to heed what his father said.
When they reached home Margot had to be told the whole story, and the next morning it was poured into Miss Robsart's ears, and then an expedition was made to Curly's crossing to tell him about it.
'For acourse you ought to know,' said Bobby, 'for you saved Nobble's life, and he saved father's, so it's got to do with you as well as me.'
And then True suggested that Lady Isobel should be written and told about it.
'And we'll make it up like a story, Bobby, for it's quite fit for a book, and I'll help you write it.'
Three afternoon's hard work in the sitting-room produced the following epistle, which went down to the country and greeted Lady Isobel one morning at breakfast: