his arm, and by
the dim grey light he saw Barney kneeling by him with an eager look in
his dark face.

"Get up!" he whispered.

"'Tain't time," murmured Frank, rolling over sleepily.

But Barney renewed his shaking, and at last succeeded in thoroughly
rousing his comrade, who sat up and stared at him with surprised blue
eyes.

"Why, Barney," he said, "it's night still. What do yer want to go on
fur? The old gentleman ull want to see us afore we start; we mustn't go
yet."

Barney frowned darkly.

"I niver want to see that old cove, niver no more," he said; and this
was truer than Frank thought. "I calls it a mean act to make a poor
chap work for a bit o' supper. He's no jintleman, he isn't."

"Well," said Frank, "I should like to a said `Thank yer;' it seems
ongrateful."

"Then you'd better stop and do it," said Barney impatiently. "I'm off.
I'm not goin' to stay an work in that blessed old garding any more. You
can come arter me."

He was already half-way down the loft steps as he spoke, with his mice's
cage under his arm, when he looked back over his shoulder at his
partner's slight figure standing at the top in the dim light watching
him. Turning suddenly, he was by Frank's side again in two long-legged
strides.

"Good-bye, Nipper," he whispered, "good-bye, old pal!"

He patted the boy on the shoulder gently, and soon with stealthy
swiftness passed from sight, and seemed to vanish in the grey morning
mist.

Then Frank, wondering a little, but more sleepy than curious, crept back
to his still warm nest in the hay, and fell asleep again without loss of
time.

He dreamt that Barney had come back to fetch him, and opened his eyes
some hours later expecting to see him; but he was not there. Instead of
him there was Andrew the gardener just coming up the steps in a great
hurry.

He seized Frank roughly by the arm.

"Oh, you're here, are you, young scamp?" he said. Then looking round
the loft.

"Where's t'other?"

"He's gone on before," answered Frank, surprised and confused at this
treatment.

"Oh, I daresay," said Andrew, giving him a shake. "And I suppose you
don't even know what he's got in his pocket. You're a nice young
innercent. You jest come along with me."

He hurried the boy along, holding him tight by the collar of his smock,
and thrust him into the room with the lattice-window, where the rector
had been writing the night before. He was there now, walking feverishly
bac