th 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.

Chapter XIV.

'NEARLY DROWNED.'

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 h