And so they sauntered up the shady lane, the old rector with his head bent and his hands crossed behind him, and the boy all eager excitement and motion, with suppressed importance in his tone.

‘I want you to give me a name for my enemy, please, sir.’

Mr. Upton looked amused.  ‘Have you had any battles with him yet?’

’I think I had one yesterday.  May I tell you?  Granny was very angry with me because I had made Uncle Jake’s best handkerchief into a banner of love.  I didn’t really think it was naughty.  I wrote “Love” in ink right across it; and I took such pains, for I wanted to show it to Nancy.  And when I got home granny was so angry that she took me by the collar and she locked me into the back kitchen; and mother was out, and I cried, I was so miserable.  Granny said I would come to the workhouse; she called me the wickedest, mischievousest boy she’d ever seen, and said she would like to give me a good whipping.  And at last I got tired of being miserable, and I looked about, and I saw the window was partly open, so I climbed up, and then I thought I would jump out and run away across the fields till mother came home.  And I was very happy then, and I jumped right out, and then I remembered, but I didn’t want to go back again.’

‘And then the fight began?’ suggested the rector, as the boy paused.

Teddy nodded.  ’I asked God to drive my enemy away, but I was an awful long time thinking it out.  Is thinking fighting?’

‘Very often it is.’

’I did fight hard, then; and I climbed in again.  Was that being a soldier?’

‘Yes, my boy.’

’And granny let me out soon after; and I kissed her and said I was sorry, but I told her how nearly I had run away, and asked her to see that the window was locked next time, so that I shouldn’t have to fight so hard.’

’You will have plenty of fighting.  Don’t shirk the hottest part of the field; that isn’t being brave.’

‘Will you give me a horrid, ugly name, please, sir?’

‘I thought your enemy’s name was Teddy.’

‘No, that’s mine; I must have a name for him—­a different one, you know.’

‘How do you like Ego or Ipse?’

‘What funny names!  I think I like Ipse best I’ll call him Ipse, shall I?’

But Mr. Upton’s thoughts were far away by this time, and presently he said, as if to himself, ’"The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.”  “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors, through Him that loved us.”  It is a fight with certain victory ahead; then why do we fail?’

‘Shall I fail?’ questioned a soft voice by his side.

’"Without Me ye can do nothing.”  That’s our Captain’s word:  if you fight without Him, you are done for.’

’I think I shall sometimes let Ipse have his way.  Will that be deserting to the enemy?’

‘It will be sure and certain defeat.’

’But then, of course, my Captain won’t let me be beaten, if I stick close to Him.’