AMONG LIONS.

(Continued from page 175.)

CHAPTER V.

R. SWAYNE paid an early visit to the encamped show next morning, with a view to making some inquiries about little Bell. At first it seemed as if there was no human creature in the paddock beyond a child or two clinging to the gate, in the vain hope of catching a glimpse of some wonder or other. A rustling of straw and clanking of chains betrayed the presence of the beasts, however, and brought a look of interest not unmixed with awe on the chubby faces.

'Any one at home?' asked Mr. Swayne, rapping with his stick on the gay front door of the waggon.

A poor sickly woman opened the upper half, and then, as if terrified, would have shut it again.

Is Mr. Pottinger in?' said Mr. Swayne again.

'He's gone to the farrier's,' said the woman, huskily.

'And little Bell?' pursued the clergyman 'She's out at play,' was the answer.

'She is not your child?' said Mr. Swayne confidently, remembering Bell's bright eyes and dark-brown locks, and then glancing at the woman's dusty light hair and faded colouring.

'Yes; no, I mean; and the poor woman almost trembled. 'She's Mr. Pottinger's niece. He'll be in soon,' she added, with an evident desire to shut the door on her unwelcome visitor.

But for Bell's sake, Mr. Swayne persevered.

'but I am interested in the little girl; has she been long with you?'

"Eighteen months or more,' said the woman, shortly.

'And she is your fairy lion-tamer?' said Mr. Swayne, catching sight of a spangled frock hanging on a nail inside. 'I hope the lions are really tame, and that you do not expose the poor child to danger?'

'My master sees to that,' said the woman, ' and I have always the hot poker handy. But something's wrong now with Antony, and Mr. Pottinger's off to the farrier's for medicine.'

There was little more to be got out of the woman, who was plainly in fear of her husband; 80 Mr. Swayne lingered about a little till he saw Mr. Pottinger himself coming down the lane.

He

Despite his cringing manners, there was a cruel look on the showman's face. was very polite to Mr. Swayne, however, and asked permission to occupy the paddock a day or two longer, as one of the lions was now showing signs of indisposition.

"It's a real bit of ill-luck,' he said, "for we shall have to break up the show. I must take Hero and the rest of the beasts to the Shockley fair to-morrow; but I must leave the lions, and they draw better than anything.'

With the fairy lion-tamer?' said Mr. Swayne.

The man glanced up suspiciously. Yes, with little Bell,' he said; but she's no good without the lions, so I shall leave her too with my wife, and only take my man."

'My man' was a rough, disreputablelooking fellow, who was smoking under a hedge in a distance.

The child has not been with you long?' asked Mr. Swayne.

"It would be better to get her into some Orphan Asylum,' said Mr. Swayne, where she would be taught something, than leading this wandering life; don't you think so?' The man paused, and then said doggedly, We do put her to school in the big towns, but she's idle, and learns nothing.'

How far this was true Mr. Swayne had no means of ascertaining, but he made one more effort for the little castaway who had interested him the day before.

Shall I try,' he said, 'to get her provided for? She must be a burden to you, and I have interest at the County Orphan Asylum in Shockley.'

But the man answered, decidedly and politely,

'No, thank you, sir; I'm obliged all the same; but her mother-I mean her aunt yonder,' and he pointed to the cart—has but poor health, and Bell can run about for her. Would you like to see the lions, sir?' he added. 'I was thinking of sending up to your house to ask if the young ladies and gentleman would like a ride on my famous elephant before we start for Shockley.'

He was the gracious showman now, and Gilbert, who suddenly appeared on the scene, was not yet too old to undervalue the chance of an elephant ride; first, however, making a rapid dash back to the Rectory to fetch Dora. Meantime Mr. Swayne took a look at the lions, a middlesized pair, boasting the high-sounding names of Antony and Cleopatra.

Surely the child does not go in among them?' he asked, glancing uncomfortably at the restless creatures.

tamer the most extraordinary proof of the power of the eye over the brute creation.'

Poor little Bell was evidently a precious. member of the establishment. Mr. Swayne turned away with a sigh, for the more he saw of Mr. Pottinger the less he liked him, and yet the child was completely in his

power.

However, Bell and the sickly wife were to remain a few days longer at Moor, and Mr. Swayne resolved to try again, in the absence of the showman, what he could do for the child, and what information he could glean from Mrs. Pottinger of her former life. He strongly suspected that the little girl was neither niece nor relation of the showman, but simply a child bought or borrowed to serve their purpose.

Meantime little Bell, was doing the best for herself. She had rambled out in the early morning, and somehow her steps turned again to the schoolhouse. To her great

joy the sound of singing again fell upon her ear; it was the opening hymn of the school. Bell crept on, as she had done the day before, to the very threshold of the door, which stood wide open, letting in the sweet summer air and the little wanderer's curious gaze.

The children had their backs to her and never guessed her presence; presently, at a word from Miss Brett, they clasped their hands and knelt down. Bell in the doorway clasped hers as she stood, and remained quite still till the last Amen, when she was instantly discovered and pointed out to the mistress by some halfdozen little busybodies. Miss Brett had seen her from the first, but there was something about the poor neglected child which attracted the schoolmistress, as much as it had done her clergyman.

"Quiet, children!' she said; form your classes. And now, little Bell, what do you

Bell fidgeted, standing first on one ragged boot, then on the other.

'I want to sing like them,' she said. 'Well, little girl, you must get your face washed, then, and a clean pinafore. Run back and ask your mother for one; it is a rule here that all wear clean pinafores.'

Bell looked up at the speaker, then down at her dirty plaid frock, very much perplexed. She had no mother, and she had no pinafore; she turned away sadly. Miss Brett was too busy just then to notice the effect of her words, and was soon busy with her reading class.

It was Gilbert and Dora, who, coming back from their elephant ride an hour later, found a little half-clad creature standing by the brookside, trying with small hands to wring out what looked like a manycoloured rag. Bell was washing her frock, since she had no pinafore; her face was shining, and her matted hair streaming with water.

Bell was not shy under the blue sky, and soon explained her proceedings to Dora.

'O Gilbert,' said that poor little woman in dismay, that frock can never be ready for afternoon school; and it is such a pity, for Miss Brett is going to teach the children a new hymn. What can we do? My last old frock has gone to Eva Smith, or that would have fitted Bell.'

"What's that blue stuff Alice is always sewing at?' said Gilbert.

'Oh, that would do if Alice didn't mind,' said Dora, joyfully. I will run and ask her for it, she finished it this morning.'

Alice did not quite like being dictated to as to the disposal of the new frock she had been stitching at for so long; but her interests too were aroused in the poor showgirl, and at last a little procession wended its way to the meadow Bell had chosen for laundry purposes,-Alice with the blue

EAVING school are they?' said
Mr. Ashley, looking kindly at
the
the two strong red-cheeked
boys who, at the schoolmaster's
bidding, rose from their seats
and saluted the clergyman.'
Well, boys, what are you going
to do now?'

Robert Ray explained that he was going to the 'bricklaying along with father;' whilst Fred Harvey, with a bright smile, said, 'I'm off to sea, sir: I've wished for it all my life, and at last mother and father have given in.'

Mr. Ashley gave them each some good words of advice, and then he told them it was a capital plan for boys starting in life to take a motto-something which was short and sensible, which should be a help in diffi