afraid; I’m a new fellow, too. Tell me your name.”

“Eden,” he whispered tremulously, though reassured by the kindly tone of voice. “Hush! hush! you’ll awake someone.”

“No, I won’t,” said Walter. “Here, I’ll come and speak to you;” and stepping noiselessly out of bed, he whispered in Eden’s ear, “Never mind, my poor little fellow; don’t be frightened; the boy didn’t mean to hurt you; he was only shoving your bed up and down for a joke. Someone did the same to me, so I jumped up and licked him with a slipper.”

“But I got so frightened. Oh, do you think they’ll do it again to-night?”

“No, certainly, not again to-night,” said Walter; “they’re all asleep; and if anyone does it again another night, you must just slip out of bed and not mind it. It doesn’t hurt.”

“Thank you,” whispered Eden; “you’re very kind, and nobody else has been kind to me here. Will you tell me your name?”

“My name’s Walter Evson. Do you know, your voice and look remind me of my little brother. There,” he said, tucking him up in bed, “now good-night, and go to sleep.”

The little fellow pressed Walter’s hand hard, said good-night, and soon forgot his misery in a sleep of pure weariness. I do not think that he would have slept at all that night, but for the comforting sense that he had found, to lean upon, a stronger nature and a stronger character than his own. Walter heard him breathing peacefully, and then he too fell asleep, and neither woke nor dreamt (that he was aware of), until half-past seven the next morning, when a servant roused the boys by ringing a large hand-bell in their ears.