"Oh! You will come and see me; you do not know how much I need some one to feel for me. Our house is the first tall one in the village on the left-hand side, with my uncle's name on a brass plate—you cannot mistake it. Say you will come."
"I will, indeed," said Willy, pressing the thin hand which still grasped his own. "I am two miles nearer you now, quite within a walk, for I am staying at Anderdon Hall; but it is possible that I may go home to-morrow."
"Oh I come, then, to-day, after service. It is a good deed to visit the sick, even your uncle—"
"Hilloa! Willy!" shouted Ned, looking angrily back.
"You will promise me?" said Percy in a tone of entreaty.
"Willy! What on earth are you stopping for?"
"I will come and see you, Percy, if I possibly can," said Willy, gently disengaging his hand. He ran back to his companions with a lighter heart; and when he thought on Percy's earnest eyes, and thin features, worn by care and pain, he could well endure to meet the frown on the countenance of Ned Moncton.
Two other boys, sons of a neighbour, shared their pew in the church, which they now entered—rough, thoughtless boys, who without one feeling of reverence or awe, attended, but did not join in the service of the Almighty. The Gores were accustomed to repeat in a low tone the supplications offered up to God: a glance, a whisper, from one of the Murchisons effectually silenced Tom, he was afraid to appear devout where devotion might be a subject for ridicule. Very low was Willy's murmured prayer—the fear of man was still strong upon him, he was not constitutionally bold—the soldier of Christ was weak, but he struggled to maintain his ground, remembering that awful sentence spoken by the Saviour—"' Whosoever shall be ashamed of Me and of My words, of him shall the Son of Man be ashamed when He shall come in His own glory, and in His Father's, and with the holy angels.'"
The Murchisons returned to luncheon with the party, and added not a little to the merriment and noise. It was no small relief to Willy that Sir Hugh was absent, for he dreaded the knight's burst of anger on hearing of his young guest's meeting with the nephew of the hated attorney.
After the meal was concluded, Ned proposed a game of billiards.