'He's a rum 'un!' said Curly, regarding n.o.bbles' 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. G.o.d 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 G.o.d looks after everybodies who's in His family. And if a boy hasn't any father, G.o.d is 'ticularly kind to him to make up for it.

Once my father was far away, and G.o.d 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 n.o.bbles' 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 cla.s.s 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 cla.s.s 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 G.o.d 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 n.o.bbles 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 Sat.u.r.day 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.'