'Then I don't know what you will say to me when you hear I want to rob
you further,' said Mr. Villiers.

'Rob me further?' repeated my grandfather.

'Yes,' said Mr. Villiers, putting his hand on my shoulder. 'I want to
take this grandson of yours away too. It seems to me a great pity that
such a fine lad should waste his days shut up on this little island. Let
him come with me, and I will send him to a really good school for three
or four years, and then I will get him some good clerkship, or something
of that kind, and put him in the way of making his way in the world. Now
then, my friend, will you and his father spare him?'

'Well,' said my grandfather, 'I don't know what to say to you, sir;
it's very good of you--very good, indeed it is, and it would be a fine
thing for Alick, it would indeed; but I always thought he would take my
place here when I was dead.'

'Yes,' said my father; 'but, you see, _I_ shall be here to do that,
father; and if Mr. Villiers is so very kind as to take Alick, I'm sure
we ought only to be too glad for him to have such a friend.'

'You're right, David; yes, your right. We mustn't be selfish, sir; and
you'd let him come and see us sometimes, wouldn't you?'

'Oh, to be sure,' said Mr. Villiers; 'he can come and spend his holidays
here, and give you fine histories of his school life. Now, Alick, what
say you? There's a capital school in the town where we are going to
live, so you would be near us and you could come to see us on holiday
afternoons, and see whether this little woman remembers all you have
taught her. What say you?'

I was very pleased indeed, and very thankful for his kindness, and my
father and grandfather said they would never be able to repay him.

'Repay _me_!' said Mr. Villiers. 'Why, my friends, it's _I_ who can
never repay _you._ Just think, for one moment, of what you have given
me'--and he put his arm round his little girl's neck.' So we may
consider that matter settled. And now, when can Alick come?'

My grandfather begged for another month, and Mr. Villiers said that
would do very well, as in that time the school would reopen after the
holidays. And so it came to pass, that when I said good-bye to little
Timpey that afternoon, it was with the hope of soon seeing her again.

Her father called her Lucy, which I found was her real name. Timpey was
a pet name, which had been given her as a baby. But though Lucy was
certainly a prettier name, still I felt I sh