Wikkey | Page 7

his whole heart and
soul, that boy loves you."
"Loves me--yes; but that won't do, you know."
"It will do a great deal; a soul that loves something better than itself is
not far off loving the Best. Good night, old fellow."
Lawrence went back to Wikkey, and leant his back against the
mantelpiece, looking thoughtfully down at the boy.
"What did the other chap call you?" inquired Wikkey.
"Granby, do you mean?"
Wikkey nodded.
"Lawrence Granby,--that is my name. But, Wikkey, you must not call
him 'chap'; you must call him Mr. Trevor."
"Oh, my eye! he's a swell, is he? I never call you nothink only guvner; I
shall call you Lawrence; it's a big name like you, and a deal nicer nor
guvner."
Lawrence gave a little laugh. Was it his duty to inculcate a proper
respect for his betters into this boy? If he were going to live it might be;
but when he thought how soon all earthly distinctions would be over
for Wikkey, it seemed hardly worth while.
"Very well," he said. "By-the-by, Wikkey, have you recollected your
own other name?"
"Yes, I've minded it. It's Whiston."
"Do you remember your father and mother?"
"I don't remember no father. Mother, she died after I took to the
crossing."

"Do you know what her name was before she was married?"
Wikkey shook his head. "Don't know nothink," he said. Lawrence
showed him the old Bible, but it awoke no recollections in the boy's
mind; he only repeated, "I don't know nothink."
"Wikkey," said Lawrence again, after a silence, "what made you take a
fancy to me?"
"I dunno. I liked the looks of yer the very first time as ever you came
over, and after that I thought a deal of yer. I thought that if you was
King of England, I'd have 'listed and gone for a soldier. I don't think
much of queens myself, but I'd have fought for you, and welcome. And
I thought as I wouldn't have had you see me cheat Jim of his coppers. I
dunno why;" and a look of real perplexity came into Wikkey's face as
the problem presented itself to his mind.
"Did you often cheat Jim?"
"Scores o' times," answered the boy composedly. "We'd play
pitch-and-toss, and then I'd palm a ha' penny, and Jim he'd never twig."
A quick turn of the bony wrist showed how dexterously the trick had
been done, and Wikkey went off into a shrill cackle at the recollection
of his triumphs. "He's the biggest flat as ever I came across. Why, I've
seen him look up and down the gutter for them browns till I thought I'd
have killed myself with trying not to laugh out."
The puckers in the thin face were so irresistibly comical that Lawrence
found it hard to preserve his own gravity: however, he contrived to
compose his features, and to say, with a touch of severity--
"I can tell why you wouldn't have liked me to see you; it was because
you knew you were doing wrong." Wikkey's face expressed no
comprehension. "It was wicked to cheat Jim, and you were a bad boy
when you did it."
"My stars! why, he could have got 'em from me in a juffy; he was twice
my size. I only boned 'em cos he was such a soft."

The explanation appeared perfectly satisfactory to Wikkey, but
Lawrence, feeling that this was an opportunity that should not be lost,
made a desperate effort and began again--
"It was wicked all the same; and though I did not see you do it, there
was Someone Who did--Someone Who sees everything you do. Have
you ever heard of God, Wikkey?"
"Yes, I've heard on Him. I've heard the Name times about. ('How used?'
wondered Lawrence.) Where is he?"
"He is everywhere, though you cannot see Him, and He sees everything
you do."
"Is he good?"
"Very good."
"As good as you?"
"A great deal better." Poor Lawrence felt very uncomfortable, not quite
knowing how to place his instructions on a less familiar footing.
"I don't want no one better nor you; you're good enough for me," said
Wikkey, very decidedly; and then Lawrence gave it up in despair, and
mentally resolving that Reg must help him, he carried Wikkey off to
bed.
CHAPTER II.
The following evening Lawrence found a letter from his cousin on his
table.
"From what you tell me," Reginald wrote, "I should say that Wikkey
must be taught through his affections: that he is capable of a strong and
generous affection he has fully proved, so that I advise you not to
attempt for the present much doctrinal instruction. ('Doctrinal
instruction!' mentally ejaculated Lawrence; 'what does he mean? as if I

could do that;' then he read on.)