Chapter IV.
HIS NEW FRIEND.
It was four o'clock, and Bobby was sitting out upon the lawn with hisnew friend, Lady Isobel. His grandmother at first told Nurse that sheconsidered him too small to accept such an invitation; but Nurse foronce spoke up for him, and said she thought it would do him no harm.It appeared she knew Lady Isobel's housekeeper, and was not sorry tohave an excuse for taking tea with her. So Bobby and Nobbles, withsmiling faces, presented themselves at the appointed time, and LadyIsobel greeted the small boy most affectionately, Nurse went off to thehouse, and then he lost all shyness, and was soon the greatest friendswith the sad-faced woman. It was not very long before he told her ofthe beautiful picture he had seen.
'I wish I could read about it,' he lamented, 'but it's in a far awaylang'age, Nurse says.'
'But if it is the Bible your nurse could read it to you.'
'No, it's a diffent Bible.'
He described the cover to her and the pictures. Lady Isobel seemedquite interested.
'I should like to see it,' she said. 'It must be a very valuable one,Bobby. I expect some old monks must have painted the pictures in it.I had a prayer-book once illuminated by them. They had plenty of timein those days to give to painting, and they did it beautifully.'
'What's a monk?' asked Bobby.
'A man with a bald head in a gown, who lives in a house away from theworld, and makes it his business to be good.'
'In a gown?' repeated Bobby. 'A white one? Me and Nobbles want toknow about white gowns, acause you can't get inside the gates if youhaven't got one on, and'--his lips quivered--'I don't want to be shutout, I reely don't!'
'I'm sure you needn't be afraid of that,' said Lady Isobel, smiling,though she sighed at the same time. 'I have always been told that itis people's own fault if they are left outside.'
'I want to be certain sure I'll get inside the gates,' repeated Bobby,distress in his brown eyes. 'Me and Nobbles means to be there. Ifinks my father will help me get in.'
'I'm sure he will,' said Lady Isobel, cheerfully. 'Now would you liketo come round my garden with me? Shall we pick some flowers for yournursery? Do you like flowers?'
Bobby assented eagerly.
'The House has a good many,' he said, 'but me and Nobbles never hasnone 'cept the daisies, and Tom always cuts them off d'reckly theycomes up.'
He trotted after her along a gravel path that was edged by thickborders of flowers; roses climbed over arches across their heads. Asmile came over his face as he gazed at the flowers to the right andleft of him.
'Nobbles is rather naughty, sometimes,' he said, looking up into LadyIsobel's face with twinkling eyes. 'He does love to cut off flowers'heads, and I can't stop him. He cutted off 'bout a hundred dandelionsone day in the orchard, he _would_ do it, and when I looked at themtheir necks were bleeding white milk, and I picked up all the heads,and I made Nobbles dig and dig their graves, and we buried them all.'
Lady Isobel tried to look shocked.
Bobby had a bewitching smile, and twinkles of humour all over his facewhen he was giving free play to his imagination. He continued with aslow shake of his head as he looked down upon Nobbles meditatively.
'I tells him he mustn't be so fond of cutting off people's heads. Yousee he loves fighting. He's been a soger over the sea. He went intobattle and cut off twenty fousand en'mies one day!'
Bobby stole a look up through his long lashes at Lady Isobel to see howshe took this. Then he gained courage, and proceeded:
'Nobbles tells me I needn't never be 'fraid of lions or tigers orvillage boys, for he'd whack them all round, and the cocks and hens allrush away when they see me and Nobbles coming! Once in the land wherethe Indians are, Nobbles walked out in the night by hisself--he alwayswalks when nobody sees him you know--and he met an army coming froughthe jungle. They was all black men, and they were coming to kill allthe white people and burn their houses; he just told them to get in one'normous line, and he swished, and swished, and cut off their headsjust like the dandelions, and then he walked back to bed and nextmorning, when everybodies knew what he'd done, they all called outhurrah, and gave him a gold crown. Nobbles said it hurt him, so heleft it in a tree, and he likes his red cap best!'
'He looks very brave,' said Lady Isobel. 'May I hold him in my hand?'
'Just for one minute you may; but Nobbles doesn't like no one butme--no one 'cept father. Nobbles reely loves him!'
It was the same with all Bobby's stories; they invariably turned uponhis absent father. Lady Isobel walked by his side and wondered much ifthe absent father knew what a wealth of love and devotion was awaitinghim in his little son's heart and hopes.
Bobby enjoyed every minute of that visit of his. He talked withoutstopping; and Lady Isobel's grave sadness began to melt away. WhenNurse at length came respectfully out of the house to take him home,she found the young widow and the child engaged in a merry game of'touch-wood.'
'Oh, Nurse!' cried Bobby reproachfully, 'we're having such fun. Inever has anyone to play with me like this?'
'You shall come another day,' said Lady Isobel stooping to kiss theeager radiant face. 'I don't know who has enjoyed the time most, youor I!'
The anticipation of another such treat sent Bobby home in smilingcontent, but it was some time before he saw Lady Isobel again, for afew days afterwards he was laid up with a mild attack of measles.
His grandmother and nurse were at first much concerned about him, thenwhen the little invalid began to recover they regained their usualstolid composure. It was a very new experience to Bobby; at first hecould not understand it, and thought he was going to die; then hedeclared that Nobbles felt much worse than he did, and the doctor mustsee him. The doctor, a grey-haired old man, humoured him, assured himthat Nobbles must certainly lie in bed with him and be dosed, whereuponBobby's smile shone out and he murmured:
'Nobbles and me is both very ill indeed.'
'Nurse,' he said, 'if I die, shall I go to heaven? I can't if Ihaven't a white robe. Do tell me how I can get it.'
'You're not going to die, Master Bobby; you're getting well fast.'
'I'm mis'rable and very ill,' said Bobby in an injured tone. 'Nobblesand me both is, and I want to see my lady!'
This cry was continually upon his lips, and at last one afternoon nurseopened the door and ushered in Lady Isobel.
'I am sure it is very good of you, my lady, to come to him; he isgetting a bit fretful now that he's better.'
Bobby held out his arms with an eager cry to the first grown-up personwho had shown a liking for him. Certainly his Uncle Mortimer had beeninterested in him, but he had never kissed him or petted him.
'You aren't afraid you'll catch the measles?' he asked as Lady Isobelkissed his little up-turned face.
'Not a bit afraid,' she said cheerily; 'and I think the doctor wouldsay you were past the infectious stage now. Has the time seemed dulland long?'
'N-o-o,' replied Bobby slowly. 'I like my beef-tea and jelly, and sodoes Nobbles; but I'm tired of looking at my picsher-books, and I wantto see those lovely picshers in the beautiful Bible downstairs. Couldyou fetch it for me to look at?'
Lady Isobel hesitated, and turned to Nurse.
'He's been on so for those pictures,' she said, 'that I think I'llventure to go and ask the mistress now.'
Nurse left the room and soon returned with the treasured book.
'His grandmother says he can look at it with you, and then I must putit back again, as it's a valuable book.'
Nurse deposited the Bible upon Bobby's bed, and left the room.
Lady Isobel took it carefully up and looked at the title-page.
'It is a treasure, Bobby. It is an old Italian Bible--Martini'stranslation, of course. I know Italian, and used to spend a good dealof my time in Italy when I was a girl. Now show me your wonderfulpicture.'
Bobby took hold of the Bible with flushed eager face, and turned toalmost the last page of it. Then he drew a
long sigh of admiration ashe held it up to her.
'Isn't it beautiful?'
'Beautiful indeed,' said Lady Isobel, gazing upon the richlyilluminated page with enjoyment. I don't wonder you like it, Bobby; itis a dream of glory.'
'It isn't a dream, it's a true picsher,' corrected Bobby. 'Nurse sayseveryfing's true in the Bible. Please read me what it says underneath.'
'I will translate it for you; you would not understand the foreignwords:
'"Blessed are they that wash their robes in the blood of the Lamb, thatthey may have right to the tree of life, and enter in through the gatesinto the City."'
Bobby listened as if his life depended on the words.
'Tell me what it means. Does it tell me how to get a lovely whitedress, like the people going up that beautiful road? What Lamb does itmean?' His little finger was pointing to the white-robed group in thepicture.
For a moment Lady Isobel paused. She read the verse again slowly.
'I think it means this, Bobby, that no one has a right inside thosegates except those who have had their sins washed away by the Lamb ofGod.'
'Who's the Lamb of God?' asked Bobby in a hushed voice. 'Does God keepsheep and lambs in heaven?'
'It is one of the names of our Lord Jesus Christ, Bobby, dear. I don'tknow how to explain it to you; but long ago people used to offer upinnocent little lambs to God as a sacrifice for sins.'
'What's a sacrifice?'
Lady Isobel was not accustomed to a child's questions. She hesitated.
'It is an innocent thing suffering for a guilty, at least the Biblesacrifices were. I suppose they were just to picture the greatsacrifice on Calvary. How can I put it simply? Sin made everyoneblack and wicked, Bobby, and God had to shut up heaven's gates and keepit outside. Nothing with sin upon it can be in heaven. These peoplein the picture who are being turned away are looking black and dirtyand miserable, because their hearts are full of sin.'
'They want white dresses,' said Bobby, 'then they could go in like theothers. The clergyman said in church--I 'members it quite well--thatwe must have white dresses on first afore the angel would let us froughthe gates. And me and Nobbles wants to get frough!'
'Yes,' said Lady Isobel softly, 'you are quite right, Bobby, that'swhat the text says, we must be washed white first before we have aright to go in.'
'How?'
'I am trying to tell you. God wanted us to come into heaven, so Jesussaid He would come down upon earth and be punished instead of us. Youwill understand when you grow older what a big thing it was for Him todo. But He died for us, Bobby; He gave His life-blood for us; and itis by His death our sins can be washed away and our hearts made clean.That is what it means by washing our robes in the blood of the Lamb.Jesus was the Lamb, and our hearts must be washed white in His preciousblood.'
'But it says robes,' said Bobby, with a puzzled frown. 'Does heartsmean robes?'
'I think it is like this, darling. Our hearts are black and soiledwith sin. When they are washed clean it is just like a white coveringover them, a white dress; and God looks down upon them, and says "thatperson can come inside the gates, because I see a clean white robe overhim."'
'I see!' said Bobby, with quick comprehension. 'My heart has to have awhite robe inside me, not outside; and the angel at the gate looksright frough me and sees it.'
'That is it, Bobby.'
'And how can I get it white?'
'You must just ask Jesus Christ to wash it in his blood.'
'Will He do it to-day? I would like it done now.'
He eyed the picture thoughtfully, then a pleased smile crept over hisface.
'And then I shan't never, never be turned away. The angel will say,"Come in Bobby; I'm very glad to see you." And I'll walk up the roadand be so happy!'
Lady Isobel did not speak for a moment. In explaining the old Truthsto Bobby they seemed fresh to her own soul.
Bobby had no difficulty in laying hold of them.
Even now he was clasping his hands devoutly, shutting his eyes andbowing his head. He looked up for one moment.
'Nurse says I must say my prayers in bed. I've always said them to Godafore. I think I'll say this one to Jesus.'
'Do, dear. It will be just the same.'
So Bobby spoke aloud. He had not yet got to the stage of praying insilence.
'Please, Jesus, I want my heart washed white, _quite_ white, please, sothat I shan't be outside the gate. And please will you do it now, forI don't like waiting, and tell me when you've done it, so that I cansay thank you.'
There was great silence in that room. The earnestness of the childmade the grown-up person very grave.
She had never yet in her life come to this crisis. And then in a veryfew minutes came an emphatic 'Thank you very much,' from Bobby's lipsas he wriggled down amongst his pillows with a sigh of satisfaction.
'I feel Jesus has done it,' he said, with a nod of his curly head. 'Hejust put His hand on my heart, and it all turned white.'
'I'm so glad, darling.'
Lady Isobel stooped to kiss him with tears in her eyes.
'And now, Bobby, you must always try to be a good boy, and love JesusChrist, and do what He tells you to. Isn't there a little hymn:
Oh, dearly, dearly has He loved, And we must love Him too, And trust in His redeeming blood, And try His works to do.'
Bobby nodded again.
'I says that to Nurse sometimes, but I never does understand it. Andnow let's look at the other picshers; but first, please, say the textto me again.'
Lady Isobel repeated it, and Bobby repeated it after her with quietsatisfaction:
'"Blessed are they that wash their robes in the blood of the Lamb, thatthey may have right to the tree of life, and enter in through the gatesinto the City."'
Then he wanted to know about the tree of life; and when at length LadyIsobel left him she said to Nurse:
'He is an extraordinary child, Nurse. I feel as if I had been teachingin Sunday-school. I have never done such a thing before in my life!'