Wikkey | Page 6

mind what I and Mrs.
Evans say to you, and always to speak the truth."
"I'll be as good as ever I know how," said Wikkey, meekly; "and I
reckon I sha'n't have much call to tell lies. Yes, I'll be good, guvner, if
you let me stop;" and again the black eyes were raised to his in dog-like
appeal, and fixed on his face with such intensity that Lawrence felt
almost embarrassed, and glad to escape after eliciting the "hag's"
address, and promising to return in the evening.
"I will look in this evening and tell you what I have done," Reginald
said, as they went out together; "and also to get a peep at Wikkey,
about whom I am not a little curious."
"Yes, do, Reg; I shall want some help, you know, for I suppose I've got
a young heathen to deal with, and if he's going to die and all that, one
must teach him something, and I'm sure I can't do it."
"He has got the first element of religion in him, at any rate. He has
learned to look up."
Lawrence reddened, and gave a short laugh, saying--
"I'm not so sure of that;" and the two men went on their respective
ways.
The "hag" began by taking up the offensive line, uttering dark threats as

to "police" and "rascals as made off without paying what they owed."
Then she assumed the defensive, "lone widows as has to get their living
and must look sharp after their honest earnings;" and finally became
pathetic over the "motherless boy" on whom she had seemingly
lavished an almost parental affection; but she could give no account of
Wikkey's antecedents beyond the fact that his mother had died there
some years since, the only trace remaining of her being an old Bible,
which Mrs. Skimmidge made a great merit of not having sold when she
had been forced to take what "bits of things" were left by the dead
woman in payment of back rent, omitting to mention that no one had
been anxious to purchase it. Yes, she would part with it to his reverence
for the sum of two shillings; and Mr. Trevor, after settling with Mrs.
Skimmidge, pocketed the Book, on the fly-leaf of which was the
inscription--
"SARAH WILKINS, From her Sunday-school Teacher. Cranbury,
18--."
Wilkins! might that not account for Wikkey's odd name? Wilkins,
Wilky, Wikkey; it did not seem unlikely.
That evening, Reginald, entering his cousin's sitting-room, found
Lawrence leaning back in his arm-chair on one side of the fire, and on
the other his strange little guest lying propped up on the sofa, which
had been drawn up within reach of the glow.
"Well," he said, "so this is Wikkey; how are you getting on, Wikkey?"
The black eyes scanned his face narrowly for a moment, and then a
high weak voice said in a tone of great disapprobation:
"It wouldn't warm a chap much fur to look at him; he ain't much to look
at, anyhow;" and Wikkey turned away his head and studied the
cretonne pattern on his sofa, as if there were nothing more to be said on
the subject.
Evidently, the fair, almost fragile face which possessed such attraction
for Lawrence in his strength had none for the weakly boy; possibly he

had seen too many pale, delicate faces to care much about them.
But Lawrence, unreasonably nettled, broke out hotly--
"Wikkey, you mustn't talk like that!" while the curate laughed and said:
"All right, Wikkey, stick to Mr. Granby; but I hope you and I will be
good friends yet;" then drawing another chair up to the fire he began to
talk to his cousin.
Presently the high voice spoke again--
"Why mustn't I, guvner?"
"Why mustn't you what?"
"Talk like that of him?" pointing to Reginald.
"Because it's not civil. Mr. Trevor is my friend, and I am very fond of
him."
"Must I like everythink as you like?"
"Yes, of course," said Lawrence, rather amused.
"Then I will, guvner--but it's a rum start."
He lay still after that, while the two men talked, but Reginald noted
how the boy's eyes were scarcely ever moved from Lawrence's face. As
he took leave of his cousin in the hall, he said--
"You will do more for him just now than I could, Lawrence; you will
have to take him in hand."
"But I haven't the faintest notion what to do, Reg. I shall have to come
to you and get my lesson up. What am I to begin with?"
"Time will show; let it come naturally. Of course I will give you any
help I can, but you will tackle him far better than I could. You have

plenty to work upon, for if ever a boy loved with