everlasting life, and a word of commendation from
the King of Kings," said the colonel, in a strangely quiet voice; but
Roy's expressive little face kindled at once, and he said no more. They
went into the dining-room to lunch soon, and the boys were too busy
enjoying the good things before them to talk much to their elders. After
it was over General Newton sent them out for a run in the garden. And
then when they came in, he asked them if they would like to come
upstairs to his old picture gallery.

"I am going to take my friend up, and you can come, too."

The boys were delighted; they had often heard of this gallery, but had
never been in it as General Newton kept it locked up, and very rarely
opened it.

"I have some gems amongst the portraits," he said to Colonel Manning as
he unlocked a door in the passage, and led them into a long dusky
corridor; "I will pull up the blinds and then we shall see. They are
mostly ancestors, but one or two are by master hands, and two or three
royal personages are amongst them."

The boys listened eagerly whilst their host pointed out one and another,
with now and then an anecdote connected with them.

"Look," said Roy, delightedly, "there's a fine soldier. He is quite
young, and yet what a lot of medals! and oh, General Newton, isn't that
the Victoria Cross on his coat?"

"Yes, my boy, he served his country well for such a youngster, he
fought in eight battles, and came home without a scratch, though he had
many hair-breadth escapes. In one battle he had two horses shot under
him, and he saved the colors on foot, though he was leading a cavalry
charge."

"He was a regular hero!" murmured the admiring boys.

"I don't think he was," said the general, drily. "He had plenty of dash
and go, but no moral courage. He came home after the wars were over, and
broke his mother's heart by becoming a drunkard and a gambler; and he
died an early death from drink and dissipation."

Roy looked very puzzled.

"I thought a brave man must be a good one, and brave and good to the end
of his life."

"A man can face the cannon's mouth better than a friend's ridicule,"
said General Newton; "the young soldier we were hearing about before
dinner had a nobler courage than this poor fellow here."

Roy said no more, but though he listened and looked, the rest of the
time they were in the gallery, his thoughts were with the hero of the
Victoria Cross. He ran back to have one more look at him be