THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 LOS ANGELES
 
 DRAYTON-HALL SERIES. 
 No. IIL 
 
 ALLAN HAYWOOD.
 
 A Series of Stories illustrative of the Beatitudes, by ihe 
 Author of the " Golden-Ladder' 1 ' 1 Series, &c. 
 
 Six vols. in a box, $4.5O; or, separately, as follows: 
 
 I. 
 LAURENCE BRONSON'S VICTORY . . . $0.75 
 
 " Blessed are the poor in spirit." 
 II. 
 
 CHRISTY'S GRANDSON 0.75 
 
 "Blessed are they that mourn." 
 III. 
 
 ALLAN HAYWOOD 0.75 
 
 " Blessed are the meek." 
 
 IV. 
 FRANK AUSTIN'S DIAMOND 0.75 
 
 " Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for 
 they shall be filled," 
 
 V. 
 EAGLE CRAG 0.75 
 
 ' Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." 
 
 "Blessed are the peace-makers, for they shall be called the children 
 
 of God." 
 
 VI. 
 TRUE TO HIS FLAG 0.75 
 
 "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." 
 
 " Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs 
 
 is the kingdom of Heaven. 
 
 KOBEKT CARTER AND BROTHERS, 
 
 New York.
 
 ALLAN HAYWOOD. 
 
 " Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 
 
 BY 
 
 THE AUTHOR OF 
 
 THK " GOLDEN-LADDER " BKRIES, " LITTLB KATY AHD JOLLY 
 JIM," ETC. 
 
 NEW YORK: 
 ROBERT CARTER AND BROTHERS, 
 
 530 BROADWAY. 
 1871.
 
 Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, by 
 
 EGBERT CARTEB AND BROTHERS, 
 
 In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 
 
 CAMBRIDGE : 
 PRESS OF JOHN WILSON AND SON.
 
 TZ6 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 1MB 
 
 I. DRAYTON BOYS 7 
 
 n. CHURCHILL MANOB HOUSE 23 
 
 HI. EAGLE CRAG 45 
 
 IV. As MEEK AS MOSES 66 
 
 V. THE PARODY 86 
 
 VI. TRUST AND SUSPICION 109 
 
 VIE. PATIENT WAITING 133 
 
 VHL BEN THOMPSON 156 
 
 DC. REPARATION 178 
 
 X. THE STARRY NIGHT . 191 
 
 622820
 
 ALLAN HAYWOOD. 
 
 DEAYTON BOYS. 
 
 , Allan, come ! How long do you 
 mean to keep us waiting ? " 
 The words were spoken in a very impa- 
 tient tone by a boy who stood, croquet-mallet 
 in hand, among a group of his school-mates 
 on the lawn which fronted the long-estab- 
 lished institution known through all the 
 country round as " Drayton Hall." The 
 afternoon sun was throwing long shadows 
 across the grass, warning the croquet-players 
 that if their game were not soon ended the 
 supper-bell would summon them indoors be- 
 fore they could decide which side was to 
 bear away the palm of victory. It had been 
 a hotly contested game, and perhaps this was
 
 8 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 the reason of Will Seaton's impatient call; 
 for his broad, laughing face was not wont to 
 wear that look of annoyance. 
 
 The boy addressed, a tall, slight young 
 fellow who had been leaning thoughtfully 
 against a tree, started suddenly, almost as if 
 wakened from sleep, at his companion's 
 summons. 
 
 " I beg your pardon," he said, hastily 
 catching up the mallet which lay on the grass 
 at his feet. " I believe my wits were wool- 
 gathering." 
 
 " If you would attend to your affairs instead 
 of dreaming away your life, you might be 
 able to do something," said the sharp voice 
 of Arthur Bentley, who, standing beside him, 
 looked at him as he spoke with an expression 
 of unconcealed contempt. 
 
 The rude speech was unanswered save by 
 a good-humored smile as Allan sprang toward 
 his ball. 
 
 As he struck it into position it touched
 
 DRATTON 078. 
 
 that of Arthur Bentley, which lay directly in 
 front of the wicket through which Allan's must 
 pass. It was a fine stroke, for his ball had 
 been croqueted far out of line, and a loud 
 shout showed his comrades' appreciation of 
 his skill. 
 
 " Your dreamer has done pretty well, Ar- 
 thur," said the merry voice of Will Seaton. 
 " I wouldn't wonder if he were quite wide 
 awake now," he added, as Allan, with an 
 apparently light stroke, sent his opponent's 
 ball to the limit of the ground. 
 
 A dark cloud gathered on Bentley's brow 
 at the laugh which followed these words; 
 and, when, a moment later, his turn came to 
 play, he glanced toward Allan with a look 
 which drew from Seaton another sally. 
 
 " Don't give play to private vengeance 
 here, Arthur," he said mischievously. " Wait 
 till you catch him alone, and then thrash him. 
 You're big enough." 
 
 Only those who stood very near caught the
 
 10 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 words, but they raised another laugh ; for 
 Bentley, a square-shouldered, powerful fellow. 
 would have been more than a match for three 
 or four such slender boys as Allan Haywood. 
 Perhaps he was not to be blamed for feeling 
 some irritation with his tormentor, but he 
 revenged himself upon an innocent victim. 
 
 Taking direct aim for Haywood's position, 
 by a stroke as skilful as that of his adversary, 
 he struck his ball. " Bravo " rang out from a 
 dozen voices ; but when Arthur placed his 
 foot upon his own ball, and with a blow of 
 tremendous force sent Allan's not only be- 
 yond the limits, but rolling down to the foot 
 of the hill upon whose summit Drayton Hall 
 stood sentinel, a murmur of disapprobation 
 ended in loud cries of, " Shame ! " " Unfair ! " 
 from both parties of the combatants. 
 
 " I'll have it up again before my turn 
 comes," said Haywood, starting in pursuit. 
 " Don't wait for me." 
 
 But a hand was laid on his arm, and a low
 
 DRAYTON BOYS. 
 
 voice said, " Stop. Don't you see that he 
 means to spoil your game. He knows you 
 can't make a good play after running up the 
 hill. I'll go ; " and the speaker sprang away 
 at a pace which promised a speedy return of 
 Allan's property. 
 
 He was not one of the players, but arm in 
 arm with a companion had sauntered upon 
 the lawn just in time to be a witness to Ar- 
 thur's ungenerous act. Looking into that 
 bright, honest face, with its broad, open brow, 
 and clear blue eyes, you are not surprised by 
 the flash of indignation which has frightened 
 away the fun and frolic which usually dance 
 so merrily there. It is just the face which you 
 would expect to see darken in resentment at 
 the sight of a small, mean deed. Swiftly 
 running up the hill again, he paused when at 
 some distance from the croquet- ground, and 
 with a light toss threw the ball just within 
 the limits. 
 
 "Well done for Ned Churchill!" shouted
 
 12 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 one of the lookers-on ; and with a nod of re- 
 sponse to Haywood's thanks, Churchill re- 
 joined the friend with whom he had been 
 walking. 
 
 " You look as black as a thunder-cloud, 
 Ned," said his comrade, as Edward linked his 
 arm in his once more, and they recommenced 
 their saunter. 
 
 " I do despise that fellow Bentley ! " re- 
 turned Churchill, hotly. " There isn't a boy 
 in the school for whom I have such a perfect 
 contempt. He knew as well as I did that 
 Haywood would be unfit for play after run- 
 ning up that hill." 
 
 " Isn't he good for as small a climb as 
 that? " asked the other. " What ails him ? " 
 
 " I don't know. He says, ' Nothing,' and 
 laughs at me when I try to persuade him to 
 see a doctor. But there must be something 
 wrong, for he can't make, any exertion with- 
 out growing as faint and pale as any girl, 
 and more than once I have seen him press
 
 DRAYTON BOYS. 13 
 
 his hand on his chest, and bite his lips as if he 
 were choking back a cry. Bentley has noticed 
 it too. Only yesterday I heard him chaffing 
 Al about his * maidenly sensibility ' as he 
 called it. He got as good as he gave though. 
 Al can fight his own battles when it comes 
 to a war of words. If he isn't as burly as 
 Bentley, he has more brains in one hair of his 
 head than that bully has in his whole cranium." 
 
 " Where now ? " interrupted his friend, as 
 Churchill drew him from the lawn into the 
 carriage-road. 
 
 " Down to the gate. My sister is coming 
 over with a package for me this afternoon, 
 and I promised to be at the gate to take it, so 
 that Thomas need not leave the horses. 
 She dislikes to drive in just at this time when 
 the fellows are all out here, and she could not 
 come earlier. There is the carriage now, 
 turning the fork. Come on, Larry; and I 
 will introduce you to the gayest little sister a 
 fellow was ever blessed with."
 
 14 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 It was not a girlish face which looked out 
 of the carriage-window as the boys approached, 
 nor yet a pretty face ; but it was one that you 
 could love and trust completely. The mouth 
 was large and not quite straight, but then it 
 could smile so winningly that one forgot 
 that it would have been more beautiful if it 
 had been a trifle smaller; and if her nose 
 were rather short, that pair of soft brown eyes 
 looking out over it made up for all its de- 
 ficiencies, they were so bright and so full of 
 love and gentleness. Yet they could flash 
 too, those soft brown eyes. If any harm 
 threatened the boy now leaning against the 
 carriage-door, those smiling lips could set 
 themselves very firmly, arid those gentle eyes 
 darken into sternness in a moment. But that 
 was for him, never toward him. Edward 
 Churchill had never yet seen any thing but 
 love looking out at him from the windows of 
 his sister's heart. 
 
 Mary Churchill had travelled on from girl-
 
 DRAYTON BOYS. 15 
 
 hood to " the happiest old-maidenhood that 
 spinster ever enjoyed," as she wrote to her 
 uncle only a day or two ago ; yet she had 
 not grown old either. Her face always did 
 wear that serious, rather matured expression 
 when it was in repose ; and now when she 
 bent her head courteously toward Laurence 
 Bronson, as her brother introduced his friend, 
 the same sweet smile which had won so 
 many hearts to her in her younger days 
 played about her mouth, chaining Laurence 
 also to her chariot wheels. 
 
 " Can you not persuade your friend to 
 spend the coming Saturday with you, Ned?" 
 asked his sister. " It will never do," she 
 added, turning to Laurence, " for me to be a 
 stranger to such a dear friend of my brother's. 
 May I send up my horse for you when the 
 coachman brings up Ned's pony ? " 
 
 Most certainly she might ; for how could 
 such an invitation, so given, be refused? 
 Laurence bowed and smiled his thanks, and
 
 16 ALLAN BAY WOOD. 
 
 then the tea-bell ringing out its, for once, un- 
 welcome summons, Thomas was ordered to 
 drive on. and the boys turned back toward 
 the Hall. 
 
 Well, Allan, what luck ? " asked Chur- 
 chill, as, reaching the door, they met the cro- 
 quet-players coming in with the excitement 
 of the game still strong upon them, if one 
 were to judge from the animated manner in 
 which it was discussed. 
 
 " Pretty good," said Allan. " Lights won." 
 " No, pretty bad : lights won," burst in Will 
 Seaton. " It was a good game though, if the 
 other side did beat ; well-matched all the way 
 through, and ending in a glorious scrimmage. 
 Bentley was our chief, and a rover, and the 
 rest of us were all coming up nicely, thinking 
 we'd surely have them, for Sam Hilton, one 
 of Al's fellows, was far behind, when Al 
 dashed in among us, sent us all to Coventry, 
 and kept us there, spite of all we could do, till 
 Sam came through. Bentley fought Sam
 
 DRAYTON BOYS. 17 
 
 hard, and did him damage lots of times, but 
 Al kept the rest of us off, and at last sent 
 Bentley himself down to the other stake, 
 put Sam through, and then gracefully re- 
 tired amid the huzzas of an admiring audi- 
 ence ! " 
 
 " "We thought there must be some fine 
 play going on," said Laurence. " We heard 
 you shouting down at the road." 
 
 " Yes : I couldn't help shouting as if I were 
 a light myself, it was so splendid. But I 
 could have switched him for disappointing us 
 so. Never mind, we'll pay you off yet, old 
 fellow," he added, turning to Allan as they 
 entered the dining-room, and enforcing his 
 threat with a resounding slap on the shoulder, 
 which called forth a sharp reprimand from the 
 usher who stood at the head of the table ; 
 but the mischievous smile with which Will 
 turned to Arthur, asking him if he should 
 yield him his seat beside Allan, did not seem 
 to indicate that the sternness of the reproof 
 I
 
 18 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 had in any way affected the overflow of his 
 wild spirits. 
 
 Perhaps there was not among the three 
 hundred boys who composed the school at 
 Drayton Hall any two who offered in their 
 whole character and appearance a stronger 
 contrast than Arthur Bentley and William 
 Seaton. The one loud, boisterous, ripe for 
 any species of mischief, yet with a heart true 
 and strong as oak, the boon companion of all 
 the school scapegraces, while he was at the 
 same time loved and welcomed by all the 
 more orderly of his companions; the other 
 dark, stern, and passionate, disliked by the 
 one class for his reticence and taciturnity, 
 and by the other for perhaps no better reason 
 than that given in the old ballad : 
 
 " I do not like you, Dr. Fell, 
 The reason why I cannot tell." 
 
 And yet these two were close friends. In 
 spite of all Will's merciless banter and teas- 
 ing, he was the only boy in the Hall for whom
 
 DRATTON BOYS. 19 
 
 Arthur showed one spark of affection ; and, 
 on the other hand, all Bentley's ill-humor, 
 flashes of passion, and fits of moodiness were 
 overlooked and borne with by Seaton in a 
 manner totally at variance with his general 
 character. 
 
 No small amount of teasing fell to Seaton's 
 share on Arthur's account, but he was quite 
 able to sustain his part in any such conflict; 
 and when, as sometimes happened, those 
 whose opinions had more weight with him 
 wondered at the strange friendship, he would 
 answer laughingly, " Oh ! Bentley does well 
 enough if you take the trouble to get through 
 the top-crust. I can't help liking him, he's 
 so spicy when he's real mad ; and besides if 
 he is kind of ugly, what you do get out of 
 him is the real stuff." 
 
 And so, in spite of remonstrances from those 
 who disliked to see their wild but noble-heart- 
 ed comrade hand in glove with one whom they 
 did not trust, and the jeers and tricks of those
 
 20 ALLAN HATWOOD. 
 
 to whom the intimacy was a standing joke, 
 Will held fast by his unpopular chum, and 
 laughter and persuasion fell alike unheeded 
 on his ear. 
 
 He had hardly had a fair chance in life, 
 this unloving and unloved boy. Early left 
 to the care of ignorant servants, he had grown 
 from babyhood to boyhood, uncontrolled and 
 ungoverned, his fiery temper fostered by al- 
 ternate indulgence and harsh restraint, and 
 his tyrannical and overbearing disposition 
 strengthened by constant companionship with 
 those over whom he held the place of master. 
 But in his eighth year all this had been sud- 
 denly changed. An unfortunate speculation 
 ruined his father ; and in a fit of desperation 
 Mr. Bentley sold his beautiful home, and sent 
 his wife and two sons to a brother living in 
 Boston, while he went to seek a new fortune 
 in California. 
 
 Their welcome at the North was not a very 
 cordial one ; and poor Mrs. Bentley, a weak
 
 DRA y TON BOYS. 21 
 
 and feeble woman at the best, soon sank be- 
 neath the weight of her griefs, and the two 
 boys were left alone in their strange home. 
 Ronald, the elder brother, too proud to accept 
 favors from a grudging hand, left his uncle's 
 house shortly after his mother's death, and 
 worked his way through school and college, 
 until by the mere force of his industry and 
 determined will he had completed his educa- 
 tion, and obtained a high position in the 
 school of Dr. Drayton, one of his former pro- 
 fessors. 
 
 During all the years of his absence Arthur 
 had lived on in his uncle's family, knowing 
 himself, child as he was, barely tolerated 
 there, and feeling most bitterly every slight 
 and coldness shown him. Severely punished 
 for every outbreak of his hot temper, he had 
 learned not to control, but to hide it, 
 while it only burned the deeper in his heart 
 for being shut up within him, making him 
 each day more sullen and morose. So, when
 
 22 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 h\s brother, able now to support both himself 
 and Arthur, took him under his own care, he 
 found him what we have already seen him, a 
 perfect Ishmael, "his hand against every man, 
 and every man's hand against him." And 
 Roland Bentley was as unwise a guide for 
 such a character as the boy could well have 
 had. His own disposition had been soured 
 and imbittered by his hard struggle with the 
 world ; and his brother's faults were encour- 
 aged and fixed by finding all their types in 
 Roland, his pattern and paragon.
 
 II. 
 
 CHURCHILL MANOR HOUSE. 
 
 i 
 
 TV/TAR Y and Edward Churchill had been 
 left orphans when she was but fourteen 
 years old, and he a little infant over whose 
 young head only five suns had risen and set. 
 Well could the boy remember the all-absorb- 
 ing story of his father's violent death, followed 
 almost immediately by that of his mother, 
 which had been told and retold in his child- 
 ish days by his old nurse, as he sat upon her 
 knee, listening in rapt silence to the sad story. 
 They had soon been left, these two, almost 
 alone in the old homestead which had been 
 for generations known through all the country 
 round as the Churchill Manor House. For 
 when Ned had grown to be a sturdy boy of 
 four years old, Mr. Henry Churchill, their
 
 24 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 father's brother, to whose guardianship they 
 had been confided, had been forced by his 
 business relations to leave home for China, 
 expecting to remain there for one year only. 
 But the death of one of the firm having made 
 it necessary for him to prolong his residence 
 in that country, twelve years had now passed 
 since he had seen his brothers children. 
 
 To be sure there was " Aunt Milly," who 
 had been left nominal matron of the establish- 
 ment at his departure ; but Miss Millicent 
 Gray was one of those quiet old ladies who 
 never interfere in any way with those around 
 them, and whose absence from their usual 
 haunts is felt rather as the loss of some old 
 familiar piece of furniture than as that of an 
 active, living presence. If her knitting and 
 embroidery-frame were unmolested, dinner 
 on the table at the appointed time, and a 
 novel at hand over which she might lose her- 
 self in an after-dinner nap, the world might 
 in all things else move on as it saw fit : Miss
 
 CHURCHILL MANOR HOUSE. 25 
 
 Millicent's hand or voice would never be lift- 
 ed to change its course. Well was it for 
 Mary that she possessed a good share both of 
 self-reliance and common sense, and better 
 still, that in the little vine-clad parsonage, not 
 a quarter of a mile away, she had two faith- 
 ful advisers and loving friends. 
 
 Churchill Manor House was as pleasant a 
 place to visit as could well be chosen. Cer- 
 tainly Laurence Bronson proved it so on the 
 Saturday following his introduction to its 
 mistress. The old house itself was a study. 
 Built more than a century ago, and added to 
 from time to time by different members of 
 the family, it had grown to be a spacious but 
 rambling and irregular building, with wide 
 halls opening into large, handsome rooms, 
 and narrow entries leading one into all sorts 
 of out-of-the-way nooks and crannies. 
 
 A very museum of a house it was. One 
 great room, whose windows opened toward 
 the sea, whose waves thundered against the
 
 26 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 cliffs not half a mile away, being filled with 
 every kind of ocean-treasure, and curiosities 
 from foreign lands gathered during years of 
 sea-life by an old-times Churchill, who had 
 been an Admiral in the British navy, and had 
 gone peacefully to his rest without a suspi- 
 cion that his descendants would live and die 
 beneath another flag. Another room con- 
 tained the arms used by the Churchills from 
 time immemorial. Old-fashioned swords, 
 daggers, battle-axes, and cutlasses rested 
 against the walls, side by side with fire-arms 
 ranging from the old blunderbuss and firelock 
 down to Colt's revolvers and Sharp's rifles. 
 On one side of the room hung suits of armor, 
 one of them dating back to 1415, when, on 
 the battle-field of Agincourt, Edward Chur- 
 chill, the first of the name who had ever borne 
 a title, was knighted by King Henry for his 
 bravery; for before that time the Churchills 
 had been but sturdy English yeomen, earning 
 their bread by hardy toil.
 
 CHURCHILL MANOR HOUSE. 27 
 
 But even these rooms, interesting as they 
 were to all Ned's friends, failed to draw Lau- 
 rence from the old gallery where hung por- 
 traits of the Churchills, from those of the 
 present day back to the brave old soldier 
 whose shoulders had felt the stroke of King 
 Henry's trenchant blade. Mary had been 
 called away to see a poor woman who had 
 applied to her for aid; and the two boys, 
 after going the rounds of the house, had, at 
 Laurence's suggestion, established themselves 
 in the gallery to await the luncheon-bell, 
 which Mary had promised them should ring 
 early, in order that they might have a long 
 afternoon to spend on the lake which lay at 
 the foot of the broad lawn stretching away 
 before the house. 
 
 " What a grand, noble face that is!" said 
 Laurence, pointing to the portrait of the old 
 yeoman, which hung at the upper end of the 
 hall. " He looks as if he might spend his life 
 in doing battle for the right."
 
 28 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 " Yes : he is a brave-looking old fellow," said 
 Ned, throwing himself down in a very lazy 
 attitude beside his companion, who was seated 
 on a lounge. " But there's my favorite." 
 
 Laurence turned to look at the picture to 
 which Ned referred. It was the portrait of 
 a revolutionary officer. An old man, doubt- 
 less, for the high cocked hat rested on a head 
 whose hair was white as snow ; but the erect, 
 martial figure, the piercing eye, and the firm 
 hand grasping the heavy sword, said plainly 
 that the old soldier's strength to do and dare 
 was as yet undiminished. 
 
 " Isn't he a soldier? " said Ned, admiringly. 
 " I do love that man. There isn't a picture 
 in the hall that we value as much as his, 
 with the exception of those," he added, his 
 voice falling somewhat, as he motioned 
 toward two small miniatures which hung 
 against the wall directly in front of them. 
 
 " My father and my mother," he said gently, 
 as Laurence looked inquiringly towards him.
 
 CHURCHILL MANOR HOUSE. 29 
 
 " They died on the same day, did they 
 not ? " asked his friend. 
 
 " Yes, when I was a very young baby. 
 You should hear my old nurse tell the story. 
 I think she loved my mother as well as if she 
 had been her own child. There she is now, 
 that mulatto woman passing the window. 
 Poor Lailie! her strength is pretty much 
 gone. She is a feeble old woman now, but 
 her love for any one who bears the name of 
 Churchill is as strong as ever." 
 
 There was a knock upon the door; and in 
 answer to Ned's " Come in," the turbaned 
 head which had just passed the window ap- 
 peared. 
 
 " Thomas wants to know if you could 
 spare a few moments to him, Mr. Edward. 
 He's in a little trouble, and needs your 
 help." 
 
 " I can amuse myself here easily," said 
 Laurence, quickly, as Ned hesitated. " I 
 have a fancy for pictures, and shall enjoy
 
 30 ALLAN HAY WOOD 
 
 examining these. Don't make company of 
 me." 
 
 " Very well : I shall not be long away," said 
 Ned, rising. " By the way, Lailie," he added, 
 turning to the old woman, " I knocked down 
 that little cast this morning, and broke it 
 to atoms. Just take away the pieces with 
 you." 
 
 Directing her to the mantel-piece upon 
 which lay the fragments of a small plaster 
 cast, he went out; while Laurence, glad to 
 be able to study the miniatures at his leisure, 
 leaned forward to look at the lovely face 
 before him. The sweet mouth seemed to 
 smile upon him as he gazed at it, and the 
 soft eyes to look into his with a strange ten- 
 derness. Where had he seen that look be- 
 fore ? Yes, he knew it now : he had caught 
 it in Ned's face at times. He had seen it 
 only yesterday, when he had been speaking 
 of Allan Haywood. But the boy's every 
 other feature had been inherited from the face
 
 CHURCHILL MANOR HOUSE. 31 
 
 which hung beside his mother's. The broad, 
 high forehead, the firm mouth, the very set 
 of the head upon the shoulders, were all the 
 fac-similes of the companion miniature. 
 
 As Laurence sat looking at the two pictures, 
 he heard a slight sound beside him, and glanc- 
 ing up saw old Lailie standing near. 
 
 " You was looking at the mistress, young 
 master," she said, dropping a curtsey. 
 
 " Yes," said Laurence : " it is a beautiful 
 face. And Mr. Churchill must have been a 
 very handsome man. They tell me," he 
 added, wishing to draw her on to tell the 
 story to which Ned had referred, " that they 
 died within a few hours of each other." 
 
 " And so they did, sir ; and a sad day it 
 was for us all. If I might make so bold as 
 to tell you how it was, sir, it might pass 
 away the time till Mr. Edward comes 
 back." 
 
 " I should be very glad to hear the story," 
 said Laurence. " Sit down and tell it to me."
 
 32 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 With another low curtsey, the old woman 
 obeyed. Sitting close beside the pictures, 
 her dark, wrinkled face, with its crisp curls of 
 snow-white hair escaping from the confines 
 of her gay turban, forming a strange con- 
 trast to the fair countenance of her dead 
 mistress, she folded her hands upon her spot- 
 less apron, and began the story which she 
 never tired of relating. 
 
 " Well, sir, it was one nice, sunshiny day, 
 very like this. The mistress had been a long 
 while sick, a many months indeed ; and I'd 
 had the care of her all the while. You see I 
 was born in the house, my mother having 
 been Mr. Churchill's nurse when he was a 
 small little bit of a baby ; and I'd lived there 
 ever since, doing any thing I could while I 
 was a child, then being nurse-girl, and at last 
 head-nurse myself. When Miss Mary was 
 born, I had the whole charge of her; for it 
 was only a short while after that, that the 
 mistress got consurnpted, and couldn't do
 
 CHURCHILL MANOR HOUSE. 33 
 
 much herself. So you can see how it came 
 about that the dear lady was in my care at 
 all times when the master had to be away. 
 Well, as I was saying, it was the beautifullest 
 day Pd seen in a long while. I'd been sitting 
 upstairs with the mistress, and she'd sent me 
 down to the kitchen for some wine-whey. It 
 was the only thing we could get her to eat, 
 wine-whey; and she wouldn't have nobody 
 make it but just me. She had very few 
 notions for one who'd been so long ailing ; 
 but that one she had, she'd touch nobody's 
 whey but mine. I was coming up the stairs 
 with it in my hand, when who should I meet 
 but the master; and it just made my heart 
 ache to look at him, he seemed that worn and 
 weary. For weeks and weeks, he'd never 
 had a quiet night's rest; for he'd never let 
 any one tend the mistress o' nights but him- 
 self, and it was wearing the life out of him. 
 They was always looking out for each other, 
 them two; the mistress always trying to 
 3
 
 34 ALLAN HAT WOOD. 
 
 seem better and stronger when he was by, 
 and the master speaking up so gay and 
 cheery when he spoke to her, never mind how 
 tired he might be. But, dear rne! we all saw 
 through it easy enough ; and I guess they both 
 saw through it too, only they never said a 
 word. 
 
 " Well, as I was saying, I met the master 
 on the stairs. I knew there'd be no use in 
 asking him to rest for his own sake ; but all 
 of a sudden I thought of another plan ; and 
 says I, ' Master, don't you think Miss Mary 
 ought to go out for a walk ? She's looking 
 pale and thin. 'Tain't any use for me to 
 advise her; but if you'd ask her to go for 
 company to you, she'd do it' 
 
 " His face changed all in a minute. ' She 
 does look very pale: I remember noticing it 
 this morning,' he said. ' I have neglected her, 
 poor child, in my anxiety for her mother. A 
 ride will do her good. Tell Henry to saddle 
 the horses while I call Miss Mary ; ' and he
 
 CHURCHILL MANOR HOUSE. 35 
 
 turned off with his quick step towards her 
 room. I laughed to myself, as I went to give 
 Henry his orders ; but, oh ! I didn't laugh 
 again that day. 
 
 " I'd been in the mistress' room a full half 
 hour, when I heard Mr. Churchill's voice in 
 the hall, calling out, ' Come, little bird, the 
 horses are very impatient!' Mrs. Churchill 
 told me to go to Miss Mary, and see if I 
 could help her; but as I closed the door after 
 me, Miss Mary came out of her room all 
 ready. She looked so pretty and bright in 
 her habit and cap, that I wondered at myself 
 for thinking she seemed pale and tired ; but 
 I'd set master off, and that was enough. 
 Mistress was lying very still, so I went down 
 to see them start, for I hadn't had my head 
 outside the door for more than two weeks. 
 I ran down the stairs after Miss Mary, to 
 take a look at master, and see if the thought 
 of a ride did him as much good as it did 
 her.
 
 36 ALLAN HAYWOOD. 
 
 " The hall door was open, and he sat right 
 before it on his horse. He was a very hand- 
 some man, was master; and sitting there, 
 with his shoulders thrown back, and his face 
 all aglow with holding Hunter, who was 
 dancing and prancing, and trying as hard as 
 a horse could to throw him, he looked just 
 beautiful. I saw Miss Mary's color come as 
 she caught sight of him, and she called out 
 so merry, 'Oh, what a gay horseman! I'm 
 proud of my handsome cavalier!' Master 
 took off his hat and made a low bow, just 
 like he was a fine young gentleman come 
 courting of Miss Mary. And then and 
 then I never rightly knew how it happened, 
 whether the sweep of his hat startled Hunter, 
 or what it was, but the creature reared till 
 he seemed to stand straight on his hind 
 feet, and then fell over backward, with the 
 master under him. Oh, it was an awful 
 sight ! 
 
 " I don't know whether we all thought of
 
 CHURCHILL MANOR HOUSE. 37 
 
 mistress then or not ; but no one screamed or 
 called out I heard a strange, choked sort 
 of cry; and Miss Mary rushed past me, and 
 I saw her kneel down close to that frantic, 
 plunging horse, and look into her father's face. 
 The men, Henry and Thomas, had Hunter 
 up in another minute ; but they never laid a 
 hand on master, they didn't dare. Miss 
 Mary sat there, staring, staring, as if she 
 would never lift her eyes from his face ; and 
 we was all afraid to go near to her, there was 
 such an awful look in her eyes. There was 
 nothing dreadful to see in poor master. His 
 face hadn't been touched : it was only very, 
 very white ; but his poor chest was all crushed 
 in. We could see that as he lay on the grass 
 with his head in Miss Mary's lap: she had 
 laid it there when she first knelt down beside 
 him. After a bit, she roused herself quite 
 sudden-like. 
 
 " ' Why do you stand here ? ' she said, 
 speaking out loud and clear. ' Henry, take
 
 38 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 Fellie and ride for Dr. Brainerd. Thomas, 
 call John, and carry Mr. Churchill into the 
 house. Lailie, go up to my mother. Tell her 
 I will be with her in a few minutes. Go 
 softly, she may be asleep.' 
 
 " It seemed too strange to believe : that bit 
 of a girl, fourteen years old, ordering us all 
 around so strong and woman-like, and even 
 thinking of keeping her sick mother asleep if 
 she could. But, oh ! there wasn't no sleep 
 for the mistress. That's another thing we'll 
 never know, why she got up, and how she 
 ever walked to that window. But when I 
 went in, there she was sitting at the window, 
 where she could see every thing ; and she had 
 seen every thing. 
 
 " I gave a scream when I saw her, such a 
 scream that poor Miss Mary left her father, 
 and rushed upstairs. But the mistress only 
 held out her hand, and said, with a sweet, 
 curious smile, ' Don't be frightened, good 
 Lailie. I shall go to him ! ' And when Miss
 
 CHURCHILL MANOR HOUSE. 39 
 
 Mary came in, and knelt down by her with- 
 out speaking a single word, mistress wrapped 
 her arms around her and held her very close 
 and tender, whispering softly, ' Only a little 
 while apart; only a little while! ' 
 
 " After a minute, Miss Mary said, * Lailie 
 will take care of you, mother: father may 
 want me.' And she only smiled that strange 
 little smile again, and just opened her arms, 
 and let her go. 
 
 " I asked her would she go back to her 
 bed, and she said, * Yes.' So I lifted her in 
 my arms, as I'd often done before when the 
 master wasn't at hand, and carried her across 
 the room, and laid her on the bed. Pretty 
 soon the doctor came: I heard him walk 
 across the hall, and I went to the door to hear 
 what he would say. I could see him as he 
 stood by the side of the sofa where they had 
 laid master. He looked at him for a minute, 
 then he turned to Miss Mary, and all he said 
 was, * Poor little maid ! ' I knew what was
 
 40 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 coming then. I knew it was all over with 
 master, and I stole back softly to the mistress. 
 She never took no notice, but lay very still 
 with that lovely smile on her face. And so 
 she laid till toward evening, seeming not to 
 see any of us. Miss Mary and the doctor 
 and Mr. Henry Churchill were all three be- 
 side her. They didn't need to stay with the 
 master more than a few minutes after Dr. 
 Brainerd came in. He'd gone where we 
 couldn't reach him, nor do him no good. He 
 was away up above us ; and so we'd all 
 gathered around the poor mistress that he'd 
 left behind him. 
 
 " All at once her eyes flashed open very 
 wide, and she says, ' Mary, little Mary ! ' 
 Miss Mary leaned over her, and she says, 
 ' I'm going to father, my darling. I give 
 your baby-brother to you: you must be a 
 mother to him.' She stretched out her hand 
 toward the baby that was poor little Master 
 Ned lying at her side. His uncle, Mr.
 
 CHURCHILL MANOR HOUSE. 41 
 
 Harry, lifted him up, and laid him on her 
 breast. She kissed his forehead and lips, 
 and his tiny hands ; and then she said, { Take 
 him, Mary. He is yours. Be a loving, 
 patient mother to my orphan baby.' 
 
 " Miss Mary took him in her arms, and 
 then the mother motioned her to kneel down 
 beside the bed, and she put her hands on 
 his head and hers, and prayed God to bless 
 them both. It was the beautifullest prayer 
 I ever heard, like a little child asking some- 
 thing of its father, so gentle and pleading-like. 
 While she was saying ' Amen,' the sun, which 
 had been clouded that afternoon, broke out 
 all of a sudden, and the brightness fell right 
 across her face. I don't know how the 
 angels' faces look, sir, but I'm sure the mis- 
 tress' must have shone like theirs, as she 
 lifted it up from the pillow, saying softly, 
 * Yes, Edward : the Master has come. He 
 has called us both home.' Oh, so glad and 
 so content her look was ! We laid her down
 
 42 ALLAN HAT WOOD. 
 
 again upon the bed, and Mr. Henry led Miss 
 Mary away, with the tiny baby held tight in 
 her arms." 
 
 The old nurse paused again, but Laurence, 
 not feeling sure that the story was ended, and 
 unwilling to lose any part of it, did not speak. 
 After waiting a moment, she rose. So interest- 
 ed had both hearer and speaker been in the re- 
 cital that they had not noticed the entrance of 
 Miss Churchill ; and both started in surprise 
 when her gentle voice addressed Laurence, 
 
 " So Lailie has been telling you the old story 
 which to us is ever new," she said, with an 
 accent of sadness in her tone. " She forgets 
 that all are not as much interested in it as 
 we. You must excuse her." 
 
 " I have to thank, rather than excuse 
 her," said Laurence, warmly. " I have been 
 greatly interested. I am very much obliged 
 to you," he added, turning to Lailie, as, with 
 another of her sweeping curtseys, she was 
 leaving the room. " You can tell a story well."
 
 CHURCHILL MANOR HOUSE. 43 
 
 " You're very good to say so, sir," she an- 
 swered with a pleased smile. 
 
 " Lailie is a sort of privileged character in 
 the house," said Miss Churchill, apologetically, 
 as the door closed behind the old nurse. 
 " Her love for my mother amounted almost 
 to worship, and her tenderness to us in our 
 childhood was most deep and true. She 
 never wearies of that sad day which left my 
 baby-brother to my sole love and care ; but I 
 am afraid she has tired you." 
 
 " Indeed, she has not. Ned had to leave 
 me for a few moments, and I was looking at 
 your mother's miniature when Lailie spoke 
 to me. I asked her for the story. It is a 
 very lovely face, Miss Churchill." 
 
 " And it pictures a very lovely woman," 
 she answered, with a slight quiver in her 
 voice. " Lailie may well enjoy speaking of 
 her." 
 
 " But come," she said more lightly, throw- 
 ing off in a moment the grieved look which
 
 44 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 had fallen upon her face. " There is Ned's 
 step in the hall; and, as lunch is ready, we 
 may as well go out and meet him on our way 
 
 to the dining-room."
 
 III. 
 
 EAGLE CRAG. 
 
 " "1 T 7 ELL, Larry, I suppose we may as 
 well be off," said Ned, pushing back 
 his chair from the lunch-table as he spoke. 
 " Mary, will you come with us ? " 
 
 " I should like it very much, but I shall 
 not be able to gratify my inclinations," said 
 Mary. " That woman who was here this 
 morning came to tell me that old John Bur- 
 gess' daughter is very ill, and John sent up 
 to ask if I would come down to see her." 
 
 " Oh ! wait until to-morrow, and go over there 
 with Mr. Leonard after school. We want 
 you with us this afternoon." 
 
 " And I would like only too well to be 
 with you. It is a splendid day for a sail on 
 the lake. But suppose that the woman should 
 die to-night ? "
 
 46 ALLAN HAYWOOD. 
 
 " Well," said Ned, slowly, " if you will go, 
 you will. I learned that lesson long ago. 
 But we will walk down with you, for I won't 
 let you go to that place alone when there are 
 so many roughs about." 
 
 She leaned over him, and with a low, 
 musical laugh, took his face between her 
 hands as she said, " O you old grandfather ! 
 what do you suppose I do when you are at 
 school ? Do you think that our poor people 
 are deserted all the week ? But I shall not 
 let your pleasure be spoiled with worrying 
 over me. I will stop at the Parsonage, and 
 coax Mrs. Leonard to go to the beach with 
 me. I will tell her that my ancient ancestor 
 is afraid to have his elderly grand-daughter 
 walk out alone : shall I ? " 
 
 " You may tell her what you like if you 
 only persuade her to go with you," he said. 
 " It may do very well for you to visit among 
 youv Sunday-school people, and the old 
 fishermen who belong here; but just now,
 
 EAGLE CRAG. 47 
 
 while the fish are so abundant, the village ia 
 overrun with strangers, and I don't like tp 
 have you walk there alone." 
 
 He spoke so seriously that Mary checked 
 the laughing answer that rose to her lips. 
 
 " Very well," she said ; " then I will not 
 visit alone. You may set your heart at 
 rest." 
 
 " And we cannot persuade you to go out 
 on the lake with us ? " asked Laurence, wist- 
 fully. 
 
 " No, I think not. But if you care to have 
 me do so, I will ride with you to the Hall 
 after dinner. It will be bright moonlight to- 
 night, and one of the men can ride over with 
 us, and bring me back." 
 
 " That is better than nothing," said Ned. 
 " But our time is slipping away, Larry ; so 
 we had better start. If she will not go with 
 us we must e'en go alone, unless," he add- 
 ed, with a mischievous glance across the 
 table, " unless Aunt Milly will accompany us."
 
 48 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 " O Edward, my dear ! " exclaimed Miss 
 Millicent, lifting her hands in dismay, " you 
 eurely do not mean it. I am so nervous on 
 the water at the best, and with two young 
 I'm sure I mean no want of respect to 
 you, Mr. Bronson," and she bowed with old- 
 fashioned courtesy to Laurence ; " but really, 
 really you are both very young and 
 and" 
 
 " But, Aunt Milly, don't you think that 
 you ought to be with us to take care of us, 
 we are both so very young, and so reckless ? " 
 urged Ned, with such apparent earnestness 
 that Miss Millicent looked up at Mary in a 
 sort of bewildered despair. 
 
 "Do you think I ought to go, my dear?" 
 she asked entreatingly. " It would be terrible 
 if any thing should happen to them. Perhaps 
 Thomas had better accompany them. He 
 might be of service in case of accident." 
 
 " Oh ! he wouldn't know what to do, Auntie," 
 interrupted Ned. " And, besides, we wouldn't
 
 EAGLE CRAG. 49 
 
 be so likely to listen to his advice as to yours. 
 Come, I think we'll have to take you with 
 us * " and he laid his hand on her chair as if 
 to draw her away from the table ; but Miss 
 Millicent's piteous look brought Mary to the 
 rescue. 
 
 " That's all Ned's nonsense, Auntie,' 1 she 
 said consolingly. " They are quite able to 
 take care of themselves. Now away with 
 you," she went on, turning to her brother. 
 " You shall not plague Aunt Milly any 
 more." 
 
 " You don't mind it : do you,. Aunt Milly ? " 
 said the boy, stopping on his way from the 
 room to kiss the troubled old face which was 
 looking after him. 
 
 " No, my dear, no ; only it makes me a 
 little nervous perhaps. But are you quite 
 sure it is not best for me to go ? If any thing 
 should happen, I could never forgive my- 
 self." 
 
 " No : that was only fun, Aunt Milly. Don't
 
 50 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 worry. We'll be careful of ourselves. Come, 
 Larry ; " and away the boys went, Mary 
 following them to the front door. 
 
 "Edward, Edward, my dear!" called a 
 soft voice, as they sprang down the steps of 
 the piazza. 
 
 " What now ? " said Ned, a little impatient- 
 ly, turning toward the house again. 
 
 " It is Aunt Milly," said Mary, laughing. 
 " You will have to go back. I am not a bit 
 sorry for you either, you saucy boy." 
 
 " Edward, my dear," said Miss Millicent, 
 gently, looking out from the dining-room 
 window with a very anxious face, " if you 
 can wait one moment, I will bring you from 
 my room some directions which I cut out 
 from a paper the other day for the resuscita- 
 tion of drowning persons. Perhaps you had 
 better take them in case of accident." 
 
 Ned's merry laugh broke out joyously ; and 
 I^aurence and Mary could not help joining 
 it.
 
 EAGLE CRAG. 51 
 
 " Thank you, Auntie," he said, looking up 
 at her with a look which was a most perfect 
 contrast to her anxious expression. " But I 
 think we will enjoy our sail quite as well 
 without your paper. It would be more 
 suggestive than cheering. Good-by : now we 
 are off; " and seizing Laurence's arm, he 
 rushed down the carriage-road at a pace 
 which promised a speedy escape from any 
 farther detentions on Aunt Milly's part. Mary 
 stood looking after him with a troubled look 
 in her eyes, until, reaching the turn in the 
 road which must hide him from her sight, he 
 turned to wave his hat to her, and shout a 
 last " good-by ; " then she went into the 
 house to meet Aunt Milly's many questions 
 and anxieties with regard to the boys. 
 
 " He is so very, very thoughtless," she said to 
 herself, as, having calmed as much as possible 
 Aunt Milly's distracted nerves, she went up- 
 stairs to prepare for her walk. " I wonder if 
 I spoil him." But after a while the shac^w
 
 52 ALLAN HAT WOOD. 
 
 faded from her face ; and by the time she 
 reached the Parsonage, on her way to the 
 village, she wore her old look of happy con- 
 tent. After all, thoughtless as he was, she 
 could not feel that she had spoiled him. 
 
 It was a most perfect afternoon for a boat- 
 ing excursion, the wind just cool enough to 
 make the exertion of rowing pleasant, with- 
 out being in the least chilly ; and Laurence 
 enjoyed it to the utmost. The low, wooded 
 shore, bright now with starry anemones and 
 sweet spring violets, brought back to his 
 mind thoughts of the dear old homestead 
 where much of his childhood had been passed ; 
 and he almost fancied himself floating down 
 the stream which flowed at the foot of the 
 garden in Glencoe. A sort of quiet had fallen 
 on him, and his oar rested in the rowlock as 
 his thoughts ran back to the old home, until 
 Ned broke into his reverie by saying, 
 
 " Look there, Larry. Do you recognize 
 that old giant ? "
 
 EAGLE CRAG. 53 
 
 Looking up quickly, he saw that the scene 
 had changed completely. The shore had 
 grown rocky in some places, running up 
 almost precipitously from the border of the 
 lake, while directly before them, apparently 
 barring their farther progress, rose a huge 
 rock, which seemed to have been thrown en- 
 tirely across the lake, shutting it in com- 
 pletely from the world beyond. 
 
 " Do you know what that is ? " asked Ned 
 as Laurence rested his oar, and gazed silent- 
 ly up at the gigantic peak. 
 
 " No ; but isn't he a magnificent fellow? 
 He looks so proud and grand, and yet see 
 the flowers lying all up his sides. They look 
 as if they had thrown themselves there, trust- 
 ing to his strength and protection." 
 
 " Very poetic, I don't deny," said Ned, 
 with a mischievous glance at his friend. 
 " But if they had happened to throw them- 
 selves upon the other side of their grand pro- 
 tector, .they would have found that he was
 
 54 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 a little rough, even in his tenderest moods. 
 Give another look at him, Larry. He is an 
 old friend." 
 
 " Then I am sorry to confess that I have 
 forgotten him," replied Larry, after striving 
 in vain for some moments to recognize 
 one single feature in the picture before 
 him. 
 
 " It is Eagle Crag." 
 
 " Nonsense! " said Laurence, looking a trifle 
 vexed. " You sold me there," he added 
 more good-humoredly. " I thought it was 
 really some point which I ought to have rec- 
 ollected." 
 
 " I did nothing of the kind," said Ned, posi- 
 tively. " That is certainly Eagle Crag." 
 
 " Do you mean to say that it is the Sea- 
 ward Cliff, as Charles Grant calls it?" asked 
 Laurence, incredulously. 
 
 " Yes : listen a moment, and we may hear 
 the breakers thundering against the other 
 side."
 
 EAGLE CRAG. 55 
 
 It was no great marvel that Laurence 
 found it hard to believe that Ned was in 
 earnest. Eagle Crag was no new spot to 
 him. Often and often, when bent on some 
 adventurous frolic, had he climbed its rocky 
 sides, pausing now and then to look down 
 into the dark blue waves which dashed so 
 madly against its base ; for the boys of Dray- 
 ton Hall were very fond of showing their 
 skill in climbing the steep and dangerous 
 footpaths which ran from the foot of the huge 
 precipice to its summit. But from the sea- 
 ward side, the Crag was a bold rock, rising 
 perpendicularly from the water, lashed furious- 
 ly by the wild waves to which it opposed it- 
 self, and exposed to the fiercest blasts. Even 
 in the softest days of summer, it was a wild, 
 weird spot; and it was difficult indeed to 
 imagine that this lovely garden-like slope 
 could be a part of that grim old giant 
 whose face wa*b so stern and hard. Yet, 
 listening, his ear could catch the roll of the
 
 56 ALLAN EAYWOOD. 
 
 breakers; and Ned laughed merrily as the 
 astonished face was turned towards him as 
 if asking for an explanation. 
 
 " The lake takes a complete sweep," he 
 said in answer to Laurence's look of inquiry. 
 " We are directly opposite Drayton ; and if 
 we had a good glass here, we could see all 
 that is going on in the play-ground. You 
 know that the Cliff is about a mile south 
 of the Hall, and this is its farther side. All 
 the rough winds are cut off, you see, from 
 this spot ; and the gruff old monster changes 
 into a blooming maiden, as the sentirnentals 
 would say. The wall of rock which forms 
 the old fellow's head-piece cuts off completely 
 all communication between the two sides, so 
 that we have many an opportunity to astonish 
 those of our visitors who have first seen him 
 from the sea. But now I suppose that we 
 must turn toward home, or Aunt Milly will 
 be agonized by our tardiness. I wish that 
 the Doctor was not so set upon having us at
 
 EAGLE CRAG. 57 
 
 the Hall on Sundays. Wouldn't it be jolly 
 to stay with Mary until Monday ? " 
 
 " Yes : that is always my cry when Satur- 
 day evening comes. But I suppose we must 
 comfort ourselves with thinking of the many 
 fellows who live too far away to spend even 
 Saturday at home." 
 
 So the boat was headed round, and the 
 two rowers bent themselves to their oars with 
 an energy which brought them to the Manor 
 House in time to prevent any extra anxiety 
 on Miss Millicent's part. 
 
 A very merry party it was that drew rein 
 at the gates of Drayton Hall about eight 
 o'clock that Saturday evening. It was a 
 magnificent night. The moon riding in 
 triumph through a perfectly cloudless sky lit 
 up the scene with almost the brightness of 
 day, and the air was so fresh and cool that 
 the riders were not overheated, although the 
 swift pace at which they had galloped across 
 the country might have served to call all
 
 58 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 their young blood into action ; for the very 
 horses seemed to have caught the infection 
 of their gay spirits and of the blithe beauty 
 of the night, and had needed neither whip nor 
 spur to urge them on their way. 
 
 " I wish those gray old walls were ten miles 
 farther on," said Ned, as the eager horses 
 champed their bits, and tossed their heads, 
 impatient to be off once more. " I don't 
 want to go in any more than the horses 
 do." 
 
 " Well, what must be, must, I suppose," 
 said Laurence ; " and it is after eight now. 
 The Doctor will look black if we are late. 
 We must say good-night, Miss Churchill." 
 
 " Thomas can come over for the horses on 
 Monday, Mary," said Edward. " Thomas, 
 take good care of Miss Mary : don't let any 
 harm come to her on your way home." 
 
 " Ay, ay, sir. I'll do the best I can for 
 her," said the old man, shaking his head, 
 which had grown gray in the Churchill ser-
 
 EAGLE CRAG. 59 
 
 vice, with an air which said that he consid- 
 ered the caution quite superfluous. 
 
 With another good-night, and a promise 
 of meeting at church on the morrow, Mary 
 rode away with her faithful escort, and the 
 boys galloped off to the Hall stables. 
 
 " Oh ! if you fellows haven't missed the 
 biggest row we've had this term ! " exclaimed 
 Will Seaton, as the two boys entered the 
 study-hall, which on Saturday evenings was 
 the scene of all the fun and jollity which 
 a set of happy school-boys could possibly 
 originate. " You've lost the best joke 
 going." 
 
 " What's to pay ? " asked Ned. 
 
 " Why, in the first place we've been scared 
 nearly out of our wits. As for Haywood, 
 he's trembling yet with fright. Look at him : 
 he's shaking all over." 
 
 The boys glanced toward Allan, who was 
 sitting near, leaning back in his chair, shaking 
 indeed, but with repressed laughter, which
 
 60 ALLAN HAT WOOD. 
 
 broke out in a hearty peal as they turned 
 their amused faces towards him. 
 
 " Let's have the joke, Will," said Laurence. 
 " It must be too good to lose if it rouses our 
 steady old Al to such a pitch." 
 
 " It is good, and no mistake," said Will. 
 " I suppose you know, in the first place, that 
 our learned friend, Roland Bentley, B.A., 
 has a mortal terror of cats." 
 
 " Yes : I know that." 
 
 " Well, we boys were all here about an 
 hour ago, enjoying ourselves one way and 
 another, when all of a sudden there rang 
 through the hall the most awful shriek you 
 ever heard in your life. I was up on the table 
 giving the fellows Achilles and Hector before 
 Troy, and I must have been doing it pretty 
 fairly too, for they were laughing fit to kill 
 themselves ; but I tell you that scream 
 brought me up short, and the rest of them 
 grew still in a jiffy. Before we had time to 
 think what it was, it came again ; and then
 
 EAGLE CRAG. 61 
 
 we flew, the whole crowd of us, out into the 
 hall, and across to the north recitation-room. 
 Just as we tore out, the Doctor came rushing 
 down the stairs like mad. He reached the 
 door first, but we were right after him, and 
 in we all pelted together, master and man, 
 mistress and servants, teachers and taught, 
 in one big crowd ; for the whole house was 
 roused by that time. Oh, my!" and Will 
 threw himself back in an uncontrollable fit of 
 laughter, in which he was joined by every 
 boy in the room, Ned and Laurence heartily 
 contributing their quota, for the merriment 
 was infectious. 
 
 " Hurry up, Will. Let's know what it 
 was," said Ned, as soon as the noise sub- 
 sided a little. 
 
 " It was Bentley, the professor," gasped 
 Will, " mounted on the mantel-piece ; and 
 on the rug stood a cat oh, my! a mon- 
 strous yellow cat, with her back up half a 
 mile high, her tail bristling, and her eyes like
 
 62 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 two balls of fire, spitting and snarling at him 
 like a dragon. As we rushed in, she made 
 one spring for him, I do believe the creat- 
 ure thought it was her last chance, but 
 she only caught the leg of his pants, and fell 
 back without doing him any worse damage 
 than tearing a hole in his trousers with her 
 teeth. And if he didn't give a yell! Oh, it 
 was too good!" And another roar of laugh- 
 ter made the walls rins: aofain. 
 
 o o 
 
 " Was it a cat belonging to the house ? " 
 asked Laurence. 
 
 " Yes : it seems that she has bothered him 
 quite considerably lately. He has caught her 
 in his room once or twice ; and a day or two 
 ago, finding her there, he soused her with 
 cold water. She turned on him then, but 
 Arthur was at hand, and he drove her off. 
 To-night, the first thing he knew of her being 
 near was hearing her give a snarl, and feeling 
 her ugly claws on his neck, for she sprang 
 square on his back. Poor fellow ! I'm sorry
 
 EAGLE CRAG. 63 
 
 for him; but it's the tallest joke we've had 
 this season. By the way, it got Al into an 
 awful mess though : he's got a hundred 
 lines." 
 
 " What for ? " asked Edward, turning 
 towards Allan. 
 
 "Why, for laughing at the misfortunes of 
 his betters. You never heard a chap roar so in 
 your life : it seemed as if he'd go into fits ; and* 
 as bad luck would have it, he stood close to 
 the Doctor. He was as pale as any girl at first, 
 as white as poor Bentley himself, and 
 then he began to laugh, and he hasn't stopped 
 yet, you see. Dr. Drayton spoke to him, but 
 he couldn't seem to help it; and, after a min- 
 ute, the Doctor ordered us all out of the room. 
 Whereupon Mr. Bentley remarked that Mr. 
 Haywood was only too glad of an oppor- 
 tunity to annoy him ; and Al, not recover- 
 ing himself even then, the Doctor ordered 
 him a hundred lines as a sedative. It 
 doesn't seem to work, though, as far as I
 
 64 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 can see ; " and "Will glanced mischievously 
 at Allan. 
 
 " Do be quiet, old fellow," said Allan. " I 
 believe I am almost broken in two ; " and he 
 leaned wearily back in his chair. " I am 
 going off by myself," he added, after a mo- 
 ment, " to do my lines. I shall have half an 
 hour before bed-time." 
 
 He gathered up the books and papers which 
 were strewn around him, and was leaving 
 the room, when Ned locked his arm in his, 
 saying, " I will sit with you ; " and they went 
 out together. 
 
 " I am sorry," said Allan, as he laid his 
 books upon a desk in one of the smaller reci- 
 tation-rooms, " that I happened to be the one 
 whose amusement was particularly noticed. 
 Not that I mind the lines so much, but the 
 Bentleys and I were on bad enough terms 
 before this; and it will only make matters 
 worse between us. I don't know how it was, 
 but I seemed to lose all control of myself.
 
 EAGLE CRAG. 65 
 
 I would have given any thing to stop merely 
 for my own sake, but I could not. It was a 
 most ridiculous scene." 
 
 Ned looked anxiously at him ; for his voice 
 was weak, and his utterance somewhat un- 
 steady. His face was very pale ; but as he 
 caught Ned's eye, it crimsoned, and he broke 
 out again with another burst of laughter. 
 
 " Allan, you're behaving like a donkey," 
 said Ned. 
 
 He spoke suddenly and sharply. Allan 
 glanced at him, then quieting himself with a 
 strong effort, turned silently to his translation. 
 Ned sat by reading, apparently absorbed in 
 his book ; but from time to time he caught 
 the sound of a smothered laugh from Allan 
 as he bent over his lesson. He took no 
 notice, however ; and by and by the bell rang 
 for prayers, after which service the boys all 
 dispersed to their dormitories.
 
 IV. 
 
 AS MEEK AS MOSES. 
 
 " A LL AN ! " exclaimed Ned Churchill, 
 bursting suddenly into the room where 
 Allan sat working diligently at his translation 
 before school-hours on Monday morning, "is 
 all this that I hear about you and Bentley 
 true?" 
 
 Allan looked quietly up into Ned's flushed 
 and angry face. " What have you heard ? " 
 he asked. 
 
 " That Bentley insulted you; told you that 
 you were no gentleman, called you a fool, 
 and I don't know what all besides ; and that 
 you stood there, and bore all his insolence 
 without a word, until he exhausted his vocab- 
 ulary of epithets, and then told him that you
 
 AS MEEK AS MOSES. 67 
 
 were sorry that you had done any thing to 
 annoy his brother. Is it possible, Allan Hay- 
 wood, that you are such a mean fellow as 
 that?" 
 
 " I am not quite ready, Ned, I don't sup- 
 pose you expect me to be, to acknowledge 
 myself a mean fellow," said Allan, his cheeks 
 reddening in their turn as he spoke. " I am 
 quite ready, however, to acknowledge the fact 
 of having apologized to Bentley for my rude- 
 ness to the professor ; but I did so before his 
 abuse, not after it. You know perfectly well 
 that I owed them an apology, and if I had not 
 supposed that he would dislike having the 
 matter alluded to, I should have spoken to the 
 professor himself. I tried to see Bentley on 
 Sunday ; but it seems he was away some- 
 where with his brother, and I did not fall in 
 with him until this morning." 
 
 " I don't see why you need have said any 
 thing about it," said Ned, as hotly as before. 
 " Those fellows both hate you, and you know
 
 68 ALLAN HA7WOOD. 
 
 it. You might have been sure that you 
 would receive nothing but impertinence for 
 your pains." 
 
 " Perhaps I was sure of it, " said Allan ; 
 "but that made no difference in my duty; 
 even my best friend had told me that I was 
 behaving like a donkey ; " and he laid his 
 hand on Ned's shoulder, and looked at him 
 with a half smile as he spoke. 
 
 But Ned did not return the smile. He had 
 just come up from the play-ground where a 
 whole troop of boys were discussing the scene 
 which had taken place between Allan and 
 Bentley ; and though every one among them 
 was indignant at Arthur's insolent reception 
 of Allan's apology, they were all quite as 
 much, if not more, vexed with Allan for his 
 passive endurance. Ned, who had not been 
 present, had heard the story from half a 
 dozen excited witnesses ; and he was burning 
 with shame and anger to find that they were 
 all inclined to think, if not to say, that the
 
 AS MEEK AS MOSES. 69 
 
 fear of Bentley's strong arm had much to do 
 with Hay wood's forbearance. 
 
 " I know I said that," he answered, with a 
 strong touch of irritation in his tone ; " but I 
 thought that you had lost all control of your- 
 self, and " 
 
 " So I had," interrupted Allan, " and I am 
 much obliged to you for putting a stop to my 
 nonsense. I have not been feeling well for 
 some days ; and Saturday, if the truth must 
 be known, I was more than half sick ; and I 
 suppose that the fright, and then the utter 
 absurdity of that performance, must have 
 upset me completely. I tell you this, Ned ; 
 but I would not have the other boys know it 
 for a kingdom. You will understand me, 
 but the Bentleys do not; and they have some 
 reason for their ill-feeling." 
 
 " Nonsense, Allan ! one would think it was 
 a personal matter. Do you suppose that you 
 were the only fellow in the school who laughed 
 at the professor's plight ? "
 
 70 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 " No ; but I happened to be singled out as 
 the worst of them all ; and I do not doubt 
 that they take it as a personal affront. Ar- 
 thur's conduct shows that plainly enough." 
 
 " Well, granted that it is so, and granted, 
 too, that you owed him an apology: that 
 was no reason why you should have borne 
 Arthur's insults so tamely. Do you know 
 what the fellows are saying, Al ? " 
 
 No." 
 
 Perhaps he suspected part of the truth, for 
 his face lost some of the color which had 
 glowed in it before, and he set his lips firmly 
 as if he knew that there was something com- 
 ing which would be hard to bear. 
 
 " They say," said Ned, " that Bentley's 
 strength has had its weight with you." 
 
 Allan stood for a moment looking at his 
 
 O 
 
 friend with flashing eyes, and lips that worked 
 strongly and passionately. But after a little 
 his face regained its composure, and his voice 
 was steady and controlled as he said,
 
 AS MEEK AS MOSES. 71 
 
 " Do you think it influenced me, Ned ? " 
 " No : of course I don't. I know it's only 
 that ridiculous notion of right and wrong 
 which you will persist in bringing into every 
 thing. But a fellow ought to stand up for 
 his rights, Allan. Bentley ought to have been 
 knocked down on the spot; and you could 
 have done it too, for if you're not very strong, 
 you're quick and dexterous, and you might 
 have pitched him over in no time : you would, 
 at least, have shown that you wasn't afraid 
 of him. As things are now, the fellows all 
 lean to his side, not because they think he's 
 right, but because you've shown so little 
 pluck. There's one chance for you though. 
 Bentley told Will Seaton that he was de- 
 termined to make you fight ; and as it seemed 
 that he hadn't said enough yet, he'd try it 
 again. Now, Al, if he does, pitch into 
 him. If you don't, you'll lose caste in the 
 school." 
 
 " Then I must lose caste," said Allan, with
 
 72 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 a quiet determination which drove Ned al- 
 most frantic. 
 
 "Do you mean to say that if Bentley 
 attacks you again, you will not fight? " 
 
 " I will not fight." 
 
 " Then the boys are right : you must be a 
 coward." 
 
 He did not look it, as, drawing up his tall 
 figure to its full height, Allan moved slightly 
 to one side, and laid his hand upon the door 
 towards which Ned, in his anger, had turned. 
 
 " Edward Churchill," he said firmly, " you 
 have gone farther than I should have dared 
 to go with you, far as I would trust your 
 love. I will not fight, save in self-defence ; 
 but neither will I allow any one, not even 
 you, to call me a coward. It is a shameful 
 name, and one which you know that I have 
 never deserved." 
 
 He did know, right well, that the taunt 
 was undeserved. The calm, resolute voice 
 had, in some measure, cooled his anger ; and
 
 AB MEEK AS MOSES. 73 
 
 looking into the manly face which confronted 
 him so steadily, he could not but take back 
 the cruel word. 
 
 " I was wrong. I am very sorry," he said 
 hastily, holding out his hand, which Allan 
 grasped warmly. "But, Al, there must be 
 something done. I cannot and will not bear 
 to have you compared with that miserable 
 Bentley to your disadvantage. The boys are 
 declaring that you'll have to fight him, and 
 there will be no end to their sneers if you re- 
 fuse him again. Why, already Will has 
 started them all off on couplets such as, 
 
 ' Our old Al is meek as Moses, 
 Soft as mush, and sweet as roses ! ' " 
 
 " Will's poetic fancies won't hurt me," said 
 Allan, smiling. " He has challenged me be- 
 fore, and had to own himself beaten in the 
 encounter." 
 
 " Then you are determined not to stand up 
 for your rights." 
 
 " When my rights are touched, Ned, you
 
 74 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 shall see whether I submit tamely; but as 
 yet they have not been injured. Only /can 
 touch my right to the name of a gentleman. 
 The fact that Bentley has denied it to me 
 does not take it from me ; and it lies with me 
 also to prove whether I am a fool or not. 
 But I tell you all, that when I let a bully 
 drive me into a fight, against my better judg- 
 ment, by the mere force of persistent abuse 
 and impertinence, you may call me a fool, 
 and I shall not dare to resent it. As for 
 Will, his bark is a good deal worse than his 
 bite. I don't think I shall prove to be either 
 ' soft as mush,' or ' sweet as roses ; ' and I think 
 if we all understood the real meaning of that 
 word ' meek,' we should not consider it very 
 much of a slight to be compared to Moses." 
 
 " What do you call the real meaning of the 
 word? I should think it was very easy to 
 be understood." 
 
 " And you consider a meek man or boy 
 a fellow who will let the world ride over him
 
 .45 MEEK AS MOSES. 75 
 
 rough-shod, and then get up and ma;e an 
 humble bow to the riders. Isn't that BO, 
 Ned ? " 
 
 " Yes, very much so," said Ned. 
 
 " Yet it is said, ' The man Moses was very 
 meek, above all the men which were upon 
 the face of the earth ; ' and surely a braver, 
 nobler fellow never lived. It didn't look 
 much like letting the world ride over him 
 rough-shod, when he stood before the king, 
 threatening him with the wrath of God ; and 
 sternly ordering him to let the children of 
 Israel go that they might serve the Lord ; 
 nor when he stood on the borders of the sea 
 with his rod stretched out to call the floods 
 back upon the Egyptians; and neither 
 Amalek, nor the Canaanites, nor Korah 
 found him very easy to manage. Yet he 
 did not think it worth his while to answer 
 the Hebrew who taunted him with having 
 taken vengeance on the cruel task-master, 
 nor to denounce Aaron and Miriam for their
 
 76 ALLAN HAY WO OD. 
 
 sedition. And there was another, Ned, ' who 
 when He was reviled, reviled not again,' 
 whose brave, grand heart was gentle and 
 tender, and whose lips - - the very lips 
 which boldly asserted His right to rule 
 as a king breathed a special blessing on 
 the meek." 
 
 "Well, well," said Ned, slowly, "I'm 
 beaten if we are to have a long talk about 
 it, for you always get the best of me in 
 a discussion. Hark! there's the bell. 
 We must be off. Hallo ! there go your 
 papers." 
 
 As he spoke, he stooped to pick up the papers 
 which had slipped from Allan's book ; but 
 before he could touch them, his companion 
 sprang forward, and snatched them up, glanc- 
 ing as he did so into Ned's face with an anx- 
 ious, questioning look. 
 
 " What's the matter? " asked Churchill in 
 surprise. 
 
 "I I nothing," stammered Allan.
 
 AS MEEK AS MOSES. 77 
 
 " Come, we will be late,'' and he drew him 
 from the room ; but as they left it, Churchill 
 noticed that he turned, and looked carefully 
 around as if to make sure that nothing re- 
 mained behind. 
 
 "What's wrong, Allan ?" he said. "You 
 have your translation, haven't you? " 
 
 " My translation ? Yes, I believe so," he 
 answered hesitatingly. 
 
 " Aren't you sure ? Open the book and 
 look ; " and he laid his hand on the Euripides 
 which Allan held in his arm, but his friend 
 almost snatched it from his grasp. 
 
 "No matter no matter it is there 
 yes, I am sure it is there ; " and turning hasti- 
 ly away, he entered the school-room a little in 
 advance of him. 
 
 " What is to pay with that boy ? " thought 
 Ned; but the nekt moment the bell was 
 tapped, and his lessons soon drove the little 
 incident from his mind. 
 
 The moment Allan joined his companions,
 
 78 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 he began to see that Ned's warning had not 
 been superfluous. As he passed Will Sea- 
 ton's desk, a whispered " Meek as Moses " 
 met his ear ; and before he reached his own 
 seat, the whisper had deepened into a mur- 
 mur, which was suddenly stilled by a loud 
 rap upon the Master's desk. The words had, 
 of course, not been taken up by the older and 
 less mischievous boys of his own class ; but 
 even there he failed to meet his usual wel- 
 come. Not a syllable was spoken on the 
 subject, but there was a nameless something 
 in their looks and manner that he felt, al- 
 though he could hardly have told in what 
 
 O / 
 
 way the unusual want of friendliness was 
 manifested. Sensitive as a girl, this coldness 
 cut sharply into a heart which had already 
 that morning been deeply wounded by the 
 one it most loved and trusted ; but no one 
 who looked on his calm, composed face would 
 have suspected the pain which lay hidden be- 
 hind that veil. The slow morning lagged
 
 AS MEEK AS MOSES. 79 
 
 wearily away, until at length the hour for 
 which he had been longing struck. Twelve 
 o'clock ! For one half hour, at least, he could 
 escape the hundreds of quizzical eyes, the 
 mocking lips, the sneers, half laughing, half 
 earnest, which met him at every turn. Taking 
 up his Euripides once more (for his transla- 
 tion was not quite completed), he passed 
 through the crowd which was rushing from 
 the Hall for the half-hour's recess, and made 
 his way to a little arbor at the foot of the 
 lawn, where he hoped to finish his work in 
 peace. As he entered, he saw that it was 
 already occupied, and drawing quickly back, 
 without waiting to see who had been before- 
 hand with him, he was turning away when 
 Laurence Bronson's voice checked him. 
 " Come in, Al, come in. I am only read- 
 
 ing." 
 
 They were the first pleasant words which 
 had been spoken to him since his encounter 
 with Bentley.
 
 80 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 ' Thank you," he said cordially. " I am 
 glad to have a welcome at last. The whole 
 school has sent me to Coventry this morn- 
 ing." 
 
 " I see they have, and it is a shame," said 
 Laurence, warmly. " By the way, Al, what 
 has set the Bentleys against you so strong- 
 ly? 
 
 " I can't answer the question with regard 
 to Arthur," said Allan, throwing himself down 
 on the bench beside Bronson. " He always 
 did seem to dislike me from the first. But 
 the professor and I agreed well enough until 
 last year, when I took the prize for composi- 
 tion. Arthur had been working for it as hard 
 as I, and they were both very angry that he 
 missed it. Since then the professor has been 
 less than civil to me, and Arthur is still 
 worse." 
 
 " Let him do arid say what he likes," said 
 Laurence, indifferently. " This little breeze 
 will blow over directly, and you will be all
 
 AB MEEK AS MOSES. 81 
 
 right ; but I'm sorry you didn't thrash him in 
 the beginning." 
 
 " I am not," said Allan ; " and they shall 
 not force me to it, if they keep me in Coventry 
 for the rest of the year." 
 
 " What's that ? " said Laurence, as the 
 school-bell rang out loud and clear. " Our 
 time isn't half up. We've had only ten 
 minutes," he added, glancing at his watch. 
 " What's up, I wonder ? " 
 
 " There must be something wrong," said 
 Allan, as they left the arbor together. 
 
 A crowd of boys, all eagerly asking why 
 their recess had been cut so short, came 
 swarming up the various roads to the house ; 
 some laughing, some scolding, all curious to 
 learn the cause of this unusual occurrence ; 
 for those who had been Dray ton boys for years 
 never remembered having had the time- 
 honored mid-day playtime broken into in this 
 summary fashion. 
 
 As Laurence and Allan joined the noisy 
 6
 
 82 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 throng, Arthur Bentley and Will Seaton came 
 up from a side-road, and threw themselves 
 into the stream a little behind them. The 
 next moment, Will's quick eye had noted 
 Allan, and he pointed him out to Arthur. 
 
 " There's Al," he said. " Let's have some 
 fun out of him before we get to the Hall." 
 
 The hint was taken at once. It was the 
 very chance that Arthur had been seeking, an 
 opportunity to insult him again before the 
 school, and to accomplish another purpose 
 which he never would have dared to confess 
 to Will. 
 
 Stepping up to his side, he said insolently, 
 " Well, Miss Haywood, so you are under 
 Mr. Bronson's protection, eh? What book 
 have you got there ? " 
 
 Laurence turned sharply round ; but Hay- 
 wood, saying quietly, "Don't notice him, 
 Laurence," drew him on toward the Hall. 
 
 "Stop! I want to see that book," said 
 Arthur, in the same imperious tone; and
 
 AS MEEK A3 MOSES 83 
 
 placing himself directly in Allan's path, he 
 laid his hand upon the book, and drew it 
 from his arm. For one instant Allan stood 
 and looked at him, as, with apparent care- 
 lessness, he flirted the leaves of the Euripides ; 
 but the next moment he had stepped forward, 
 seized him by the collar and waistband, and, 
 by a dexterous movement, lifted him out of 
 his path, and set him down upon the road be- 
 hind him. A wild shout of delight, mixed 
 with vociferous cries of " Hurra for old Al ! " 
 " I knew he'd come out all right ! " " How 
 are you now, Bentley ? " &c., followed Allan's 
 unlooked-for exploit ; while Laurence, laugh- 
 ing heartily at Arthur's overthrow, bent to 
 pick up the fallen book, and the scattered 
 papers which had dropped from it. 
 
 " You seem to have plenty of manuscript 
 here," he said as he handed it to Allan. 
 " Does all this scribbling belong to you ? " 
 and he stretched out his hand filled with 
 papers written in pencil.
 
 84 ALLAN HAT WOOD. 
 
 Allan grasped them hurriedly. " Yes, yes ! 
 they are mine. Are you sure you picked 
 them all up? " and he looked about upon 
 the road where the book had dropped as it 
 fell from Arthur's hand, with a nervous, un- 
 easy glance. 
 
 " Yes : I gathered them together, every one 
 of them. What's the matter now?" for 
 Allan had seized his arm with a grip which 
 fairly pained him. " Are you sick?" he 
 asked anxiously, seeing that the boy was 
 deadly pale. 
 
 A spasm passed over Allan's face : he bent 
 himself almost double, as if convulsed with 
 agony ; but the next moment he raised his 
 face, now flushed and burning, and loosed his 
 hold on Laurence's arm. 
 
 " A sudden pain, that was all," he said 
 feebly. " Don't speak of it before those fel- 
 lows. Bentley was rather too heavy for me. 
 Come, we must go on ; " and they joined 
 their comrades.
 
 MEEK AS MOSES. 85 
 
 The crowd was still pouring into the Hall, 
 their interest in the question of their recal 
 divided now with their delight in Bentley's 
 discomfiture and Allan's self-assertion.
 
 V 
 
 THE PARODY. 
 
 "DUT all discussion and debate were 
 hushed, as the boys re-entered the long 
 school-room, and found that Dr. Drayton him- 
 self stood in the Master's desk, a circum- 
 stance, in itself, as unusual as the short re- 
 cess. As one after another caught sight of 
 the tall, gaunt form standing erect, with heavy 
 brows bent almost threateningly on the va- 
 rious groups pressing in through the open 
 door, the news spread that the Doctor was 
 there, and the boys came in more quietly ; 
 for the Doctor, if he were not much loved, 
 was at least held in great reverence by his 
 scholars. His face was one to win more of 
 respect than of affection. The lines about
 
 THE PARODY, 87 
 
 the large mouth were hard and stern ; the 
 dark gray eyes were keen and piercing; and 
 the high, intellectual forehead could frown 
 terribly, if need were. And need there 
 seemed to be this morning, for it was drawn 
 in lines of severity such as the boys had not 
 seen in many a long day. 
 
 " Young gentlemen ! " How loud and 
 clear his voice rang out! Evidently he in- 
 tended to nail the attention of every one in 
 the room, in any part of which one might 
 have heard a pin drop, so perfect was the 
 stillness. " Young gentlemen, I have called 
 you in at this early hour, because I wish to 
 ascertain without a moment's unnecessary 
 delay who was the originator of a most mean 
 and dastardly trick which has been perpetrated 
 upon Professor Bentley. One of the actors 
 in the farce is known ; the others, if others 
 there be, are yet unknown : but as soon as 
 they are discovered, they shall be expelled 
 from my school. Many of you, doubtless, are
 
 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 ignorant of the circumstances to which I 
 allude. They are these. Some persons, and 
 among them some of the best and bravest 
 men that ever lived, are tormented with an 
 aversion a terror, I may call it of some 
 particular object ; and you all know, from ex- 
 perience, that Professor Bentley suffers from 
 such a dread. An insulting parody which I 
 hold in my hand has been written by one 
 of your comrades, and was to-day posted up 
 on the Professor's door, to the handle of which 
 a cat was tied by a string. Fortunately, the 
 plot was discovered before Mr. Bentley had 
 occasion to go to his room. If the perpetrat- 
 ors of this outrage choose to confess their 
 guilt, they will save me much trouble ; for I 
 am determined that they shall not escape, and 
 I will ferret out the whole matter, if I spend 
 months in the work." 
 
 The Doctor's speech was followed by the 
 most perfect silence. The boys looked from 
 one to the other in amazed inquiry, but not
 
 THE PARODY. 89 
 
 a whisper or a movement was heard. Dr. 
 Drayton stood frowning down upon them, 
 watching intently for some sign of guilt ; but he 
 saw nothing to lead him to suspect any one. 
 After a few moments' angry survey of the 
 hundreds of young faces before him, he spoke 
 again. 
 
 " The author of these lines will be kind 
 enough to corne forward, and relieve me of 
 them." 
 
 There was another silence, deeper than the 
 first. The Doctor's face was turned towards 
 the long row of desks, behind which sat the 
 senior class of the school ; but every boy 
 there returned his scrutinizing look honest- 
 ly and fairly. 
 
 " Allan Hay wood, stand forward ! " 
 
 Allan started, as well he might; for the 
 Doctor's voice was awful in its wrath. He 
 rose instantly, however ; and, passing round the 
 end of the seat, came out and stood in the 
 centre of the floor, with every eye fixed on him.
 
 90 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 " Why did you not claim your property, 
 sir?" asked Dr. Drayton, sternly. 
 
 " Because I see none to claim, sir," replied 
 Allan steadily. " If you allude to that paper 
 in your hand, I have never seen it until 
 now." 
 
 " Do you deny your own handwriting ? " 
 asked the Doctor. " Have a care, Haywood. 
 I thought you far above any such heartless 
 trickery as this. Do not make me think you 
 false, as well as cruelly revengeful." 
 
 " You shall have no cause to think me 
 either false or " but there he paused. 
 
 Dr. Drayton had taken a step forward, and 
 laid before him the paper. If he knew his 
 own penmanship, which was somewhat pe- 
 culiar in its characteristics, the lines were 
 his. He stood looking at them for a moment, 
 
 the same unbroken stillness reigning around 
 
 
 him; then he raised his head, and said, 
 
 " I do not understand this. I own that 
 this handwriting is wonderfully like my own,
 
 THE PARODY. 91 
 
 but my own it is not. Mr. Bentley and I 
 have not been on the best of terms ; but I am 
 sorry that Dr. Drayton does not know me 
 better than to think me capable of such a 
 malicious trick as has been played upon him. 
 I deny it, wholly and entirely ;" and he looked 
 frankly up into the face of his master. 
 
 Dr. Drayton eyed him searchingly, doubt- 
 ful whether to trust the evidence of his own 
 senses, or the honest, manly face which con- 
 fronted him. Apparently he chose the latter; 
 for bidding Allan return to bis seat, he 
 stepped back into the desk, and again ad- 
 dressed the school. 
 
 " You have all heard," he said more calmly 
 than he had before spoken, " Allan Hay- 
 wood's strong denial of the charge brought 
 against him. Circumstances seem to point 
 him out so undeniably as the author of these 
 lines that I could not question his guilt ; but he 
 repels the accusation so stoutly, that I must, 
 at least, give him the benefit of the doubt. I
 
 92 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 am however, as I said before, determined to 
 sift this matter to the bottom. Except the 
 evidence of this handwriting, I have no clew 
 whatever to the perpetrators ; and I see no 
 course open to me, except one which I know 
 must be extremely distasteful to you all. 
 Nevertheless, I shall pursue it. Every desk 
 and room in this establishment shall be 
 searched, in the hope that we may obtain 
 some clew to the author of this parody." 
 
 A murmur of disapprobation ran through 
 the room. Such a thing had never been 
 done before at Drayton Hall ; and more than 
 one eye flashed, as the boys looked first at 
 one another, and then at the masters who sat 
 in a row on either side of the Doctor's desk. 
 The murmur grew louder and stronger, but 
 Dr. Drayton soon stilled it. 
 
 Silence ! " 
 
 The stentorian voice drowned for the mo- 
 ment every other sound ; and when its echoes 
 died away, the room was quiet as the grave,
 
 TEE PARODY. 
 
 although the extreme unpopularity of the 
 measure was plainly discernible in many a 
 dark and angry face. 
 
 " The search will be begun here, and at 
 once. Mr. Acton will take the senior class, 
 Mr. Moore the second, and so on. Gentle- 
 men, the sooner this disagreeable business is 
 over, the better." 
 
 The under-masters rose to perform their 
 unwelcome duty, with as much apparent un- 
 willingness as the boys .could have desired; 
 and Mr. Acton approached the desks of the 
 senior class. 
 
 Arthur Bentley, Laurence Bronson, Ed- 
 ward Churchill, and Allan Haywood sat side 
 by side at the upper end of the long row, Ar- 
 thur's desk being the one nearest the head- 
 master's seat. Not a boy in the room stirred 
 to open his desk, or to aid in any way the 
 hateful search ; but the masters passed on 
 resolutely in their task. Mr. Acton had 
 opened the three first desks, glanced over
 
 94 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 their contents, and closed them again, and had 
 laid his hand upon Allan's, when his eye fell 
 on a book lying upon the lid, from the leaves 
 of which appeared the edges of some papers 
 which had evidently been thrust in hurriedly. 
 
 " What papers are these ? " he asked, lay- 
 ing his hand upon the book. 
 
 Allan started, and reached quickly forward 
 to grasp it; but the master drew it from 
 him. 
 
 " What papers are these ? " he asked again, 
 very sternly, for the boy's manner had made 
 him suspect that something was wrong. 
 
 " It is my translation at least at least 
 don't read them, Mr. Acton. They have 
 nothing to do with the parody ; " and Allan 
 looked entreatingly into the master's grave 
 face. 
 
 But Mr. Acton had opened the book, and 
 taking from it a folded sheet of foolscap, 
 glanced over it, his countenance darkening 
 more and more; while Allan watched him
 
 THE PARODY. 95 
 
 closely, his color coming and going painfully. 
 in a moment, Mr. Acton had raised his head, 
 and with a look of scorn, which Haywood 
 totally misunderstood, turned from him to- 
 wards Dr. Drayton. But Allan stopped him. 
 
 " Mr. Acton," he said earnestly, " don't 
 take those lines to the Doctor : they concern 
 no one but myself." 
 
 " Allow me to judge of that, sir," was the 
 severely spoken response ; and pushing aside 
 his detaining hand, Mr. Acton walked up to 
 the platform. 
 
 Every eye in the immense room was upon 
 him, for this little interruption to the proceed- 
 ings had attracted universal attention. With- 
 out a word, he laid the paper in Dr. Drayton's 
 hand. The Doctor scanned it closely. His 
 brow contracted angrily, and springing to his 
 feet, his voice rang through the room again, 
 more sharply than before. 
 
 " The search may cease. The culprit is 
 found. Allan Haywood!"
 
 96 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 The boy rose from his seat, wondering 
 what those few lines which he had so assid- 
 uously hidden from every one should have 
 to do with the matter in hand. 
 
 " Take your stand here, sir ; " and the Doc- 
 tor motioned him to the platform where the 
 whole school would have a full view of him. 
 
 Allan took the position assigned him, and 
 looking up, met the many pairs of eager eyes 
 unflinchingly. Why should he not meet 
 them? He had done nothing which should 
 make him quail before them. And so he 
 stood there, again suspected, he knew not 
 why, but quite determined to stand his 
 ground, boldly facing his wondering com- 
 rades. 
 
 " May I ask you, Mr. Haywood," said Dr. 
 Drayton, in a tone of utter contempt, " why 
 you objected to Mr. Acton's seeing this 
 paper ? " 
 
 A few moments before, Allan would have 
 been all blushes and confusion at the mere
 
 THE PARODY. 97 
 
 mention of that paper ; but now he saw that 
 his justification or condemnation was in some 
 way connected with it, and he answered, with 
 a somewhat heightened color, but quite 
 steadily, 
 
 " Because, sir, it concerns myself alone. 
 It is an entirely private matter." 
 
 " Suppose you let the school judge of that. 
 Read it aloud." 
 
 Now indeed he faltered. The Doctor placed 
 it in his hand, but he did not open it : he 
 only looked imploringly into the hard, cold 
 face above him. 
 
 " I cannot read it aloud," he said. " You 
 do not know what you ask of me." 
 
 " I do know what I ask. Will you obey 
 me?" 
 
 " I cannot read those lines before the 
 school." 
 
 For a moment the Doctor looked at him 
 as he stood there, very pale now, but firm as
 
 98 ALLAN HAYWOOD. 
 
 a rock, evidently uncertain how to proceed. 
 At length he said, 
 
 Then I shall read it myself." 
 
 " I beg you not to," urged Allan in a low 
 voice; "at least, not while I stand here." 
 
 He paid no heed to the beseeching words, 
 but spreading the sheet out upon the desk, 
 said, 
 
 " Young gentlemen, you heard Mr. Hay- 
 wood's denial of the authorship of the parody 
 which was written in mockery of Mr. Bent- 
 ley. Here is a rough pencil draft which he 
 does not deny. The school shall judge 
 whether or not the honor of the conception 
 belongs to him." 
 
 Allan had turned a little from the front ol 
 the platform, and his head was bent slightly 
 forward so as to hide his face. But as the 
 Doctor began to read in his heavy, sonorous 
 voice, he raised himself, and watched him 
 with astonishment written over every line of 
 his countenance. For the words he heard
 
 THE PARODY. 99 
 
 were not the simple but earnest longings of 
 his own heart, which he had treasured so 
 secretly. 
 
 " To the Professor's room a cat drew nigh," 
 
 read the Doctor. 
 
 Allan stood up bravely and strongly now, 
 listening with an interest whose source was 
 wholly changed. 
 
 " Her long black whiskers nodded from on high ; 
 Her teeth shone white ; her sharp, unsparing claws 
 Were but half hidden 'neath her furry paws ; 
 And from her eyes fierce, fiery splendors shone, 
 Like Jove's own lightning, or the rising sun. 
 As Bentley sees, unusual terrors rise : 
 Struck by some god, he fears, recedes, and flies ; 
 He leaves the door, he leaves the walls behind : 
 And Pussy follows like the winged wind. 
 Thus at the panting dove, the falcon flies. 
 The poor Professor screamed and shut his eyes. 
 On, on they passed, one chasing, one in flight ; 
 (The mighty fled, pursued by feline might). 
 Swift was the course ; no vulgar prize they play, 
 No vulgar victim must reward the day, 
 Such as in school-rooms crown the unequal strife ; 
 The prize contended was our poor Prof.'s life. 
 At last, in terror wild, as if he'd wings, 
 On the high mantel the Professor springs;
 
 100 ALLAN HAT WOOD. 
 
 And raging pussy, balked of her rich prey, 
 Stands on the rug, and spitting waits her day. 
 Meantime Prof., yelling with tremendous might, 
 Calls all the school to see the jolly sight ; 
 And pussy, thinking this her latest chance, 
 Before the fire begins a warlike dance. 
 Upward she makes a spring ! oh, how he roars 
 As through his pantaloons she puts her claws ! 
 O pussy, shame to beat so small a foe ! 
 How can you treat our poor Professor so ? 
 Unequal warfare is not brave nor wise : 
 Why don't you fight a cat of your own size ? " 
 
 The Doctor ceased reading, and to his 
 utter surprise, on turning his eyes on Allan, 
 found him standing erect before him, return- 
 ing his gaze fearlessly. 
 
 " What have you to say for yourself, sir, 
 in justification of such unbounded imper- 
 tinence as this ; and of the unblushing false- 
 hood with which you attempted to deceive 
 me, and I regret to say did deceive me a 
 few moments since ? " 
 
 " I have to say, sir, that I am guilty neither 
 of the falsehood, nor of the impertinence," 
 replied Allan, firmly.
 
 THE PARODY. 101 
 
 " And I have to say in my turn," said the 
 Doctor, goaded almost to fury by the boy's 
 calm manner, " that you are proved guilty of 
 both. The first fault I determined to punish 
 by expulsion from the school ; but the second 
 the audacious, cool falsehoods which you 
 persist in maintaining, in spite of the proofs 
 given by your own acknowledged handwrit- 
 ing, by this copy of the Iliad just now taken 
 from your desk by a person whom I told to 
 search it, and by your guilty manner when 
 this rough draft was discovered is doubly 
 worthy of the punishment. You are hereby 
 expelled from Dray ton Hall. You will re- 
 turn to your guardian this afternoon. In the 
 mean time, you may leave this room at once, 
 and await me in my study." 
 
 The boy stood as if crushed, his head sunk 
 upon his breast, his whole frame quivering 
 under the load of shame which bore him 
 down like a resistless weight Was this all 
 that his word was worth ? The blow had
 
 102 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 fallen suddenly upon him ; for he had not, 
 for one moment, doubted his ability to clear 
 himself from the shameful charge. But in 
 an instant his false position thrust itself 
 upon him in its clearest light. Every thing 
 was against him, the handwriting, the rough 
 draft, his own manner. What should he do ? 
 Did every one doubt him ? 
 
 He glanced hastily around to see. How 
 coldly and suspiciously all his old friends re- 
 turned his anxious gaze! Slowly his eye 
 travelled around the room, meeting no friend- 
 ly glance anywhere, until it reached Ned 
 Churchill's face, and rested there. Ay, rest- 
 ed there ; for it was met by a smile as glad, 
 as trustful, as entirely confiding, as ever it 
 had met before. It seemed to change the 
 whole course of his thoughts and feelings; a 
 new resolution seemed to inspire him, and 
 straightening himself up, he turned boldly 
 toward the Doctor once more. 
 
 " I requested you to leave the room at
 
 THE PARODY. 103 
 
 once," said the Doctor, sternly. " Did you not 
 hear me ? " 
 
 " Yes, sir," replied Allan, respectfully, yet 
 with a determination which quite equalled 
 the master's ; " but I must be heard. You 
 have doubtless the power to expel whom you 
 will from your school ; but have you the 
 right to expel me unheard, undefended, upon 
 mere circumstantial evidence (which I must 
 admit is strongly against me), when I give 
 you my word, which you have never had 
 reason to doubt, that I am guiltless in this 
 thing?" 
 
 " If you can clear yourself," replied the 
 Doctor, without the slightest relenting in his 
 tone, " no one will be more ready to hear you 
 than I ; but it will be a strange thing if you 
 can do so, after acknowledging this paper as 
 your own." 
 
 " 1 spoke of that paper as my own, totally 
 mistaking it, sir. I had not seen it, but sup- 
 posed it to be mine, as it was taken from a
 
 104 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 book in which I had placed some manuscript. 
 As to the copy of the Iliad, and the papers 
 which it contains, I have not seen them, either 
 now or at any other time. I had heard noth- 
 ing of the plot, either of its conception or its 
 execution, until now." 
 
 " How do you account for this then ? " 
 
 Dr. Drayton handed him the two pencil 
 drafts, one of them corrected, revised, and 
 changed, almost line by line ; the other writ- 
 ten out more clearly, but like the first, dis- 
 similar in the wording in some respects from 
 that taken from the Professor's door, which 
 had evidently, however, been copied from the 
 clearer draft. Allan studied them carefully. 
 Like the first, they appeared to be in his 
 own handwriting. He could not compre- 
 hend it. 
 
 "I cannot account for it, sir," he answered, 
 meeting the Doctor's scrutinizing gaze. 
 
 " You own that it is written exactly in 
 your hand ? "
 
 THE PARODY. 105 
 
 " No, sir. But I do own that the differences 
 are so slight that not one person in five hun- 
 dred would be likely to detect them." 
 
 " No one who has yet seen the papers has 
 detected them," said the Doctor, pointedly. 
 He could be fearfully caustic when he chose. 
 " You have no proof of innocence to offer ? " 
 
 " No, sir, none. I can only assert and re- 
 assert my complete ignorance of the whole 
 affair." 
 
 " Then I must request you to consider your 
 relations with Drayton Hall discontinued un- 
 til such time as you can refute the strong evi- 
 dence against you. You will do well to re- 
 tire to my study at once." 
 
 Allan felt that he would do well to go at 
 once ; for as he spoke his last words, he had 
 had a warning that if he intended to leave 
 the room without aid, he must do so quickly. 
 He paused for one moment to bow coldly to 
 Dr. Drayton, and again to the masters whom 
 he must pass in leaving the room, and then
 
 106 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 moved toward the door. Reaching it, he 
 turned to take one last look at the old room 
 which he should never enter again, and then 
 with a wistful glance at Ned he went out. 
 
 But in that momentary look which Ned had 
 caught, he had seen something that made 
 him spring up suddenly, to the astonishment 
 of all around him. 
 
 " The young gentlemen will please to keep 
 their seats," said Dr. Drayton, sharply. 
 
 "But Allan is sick," said Ned, earnestly. 
 " Let me go to him, please ; " and he left his 
 desk, forgetting all discipline in his eagerness 
 and anxiety. 
 
 " Mr. Churchill, return to your place," said 
 the Doctor, authoritatively. " Mr. Acton, will 
 you see if Haywood needs attention ? It did 
 not strike me that he looked ill." 
 
 Mr. Acton went out in obedience to a sign 
 from the principal; and passing through the 
 main hall, crossed a narrow entry, and entered 
 the study, or "lecture-room," as the boys
 
 THE PARODY. 107 
 
 appropriately termed it. But Allan was not 
 there. Leaving the room again, he noticed 
 that the door leading to a small piazza, which 
 ran along the side of the house, was open, 
 and looking out he saw him leaning against 
 a column as if he were not able to stand. 
 Evidently the boy had heard his step ; for 
 gathering up all his energy, he stood erect, 
 and turned his colorless face toward the 
 teacher, as if to ask why he had intruded 
 upon him. 
 
 " Are you sick, Hay wood ? " asked Mr. 
 Acton. " Shall I bring any thing for you ? " 
 
 " Nothing, thank you," replied Allan, coldly. 
 " I need nothing." 
 
 " You are looking very ill." 
 
 The words were kindly spoken, but Allan 
 made no answer. 
 
 " Will you come into the study, and lie 
 down ? " 
 
 " I prefer to remain here. I need no help." 
 
 Mr. Acton moved slowly towards the door ;
 
 108 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 but before he had actually entered the house 
 Allan's better, gentler nature triumphed. 
 
 " Forgive my rudeness," he said, laying his 
 hand upon Mr. Acton's arm. " I know you 
 mean kindly, and there was much to make 
 you doubt me. I felt as if I were choking, 
 and came out for the air. I will stay here 
 until the Doctor comes ; and then and then 
 I will go home." 
 
 His desire to be alone was so manifest that 
 Mr. Acton left him ; pausing first to shake 
 hands with him, and say, " I do most earn- 
 estly hope that you may be able to prove 
 your innocence, Haywood." 
 
 " Thank you," he said, and that was all.
 
 VI. 
 
 TRUST AND SUSPICION. 
 
 HT^HERE was not much work done in 
 school that day, nor when studies 
 were over did there seem to be much heart 
 for play. The boys stood about the roads 
 and lawn in groups, discussing the exciting 
 occurrences of the morning, all expressing 
 their opinions freely, both with regard to 
 Allan and the Doctor. Allan's manliness and 
 determination had won universal admiration, 
 and were the theme of much praise; while 
 the severity of Dr. Drayton was commented 
 upon with equal freedom. Some thought it 
 perfectly just: others thought no terms too 
 hard for its condemnation ; and so the war 
 of words ran high in the little community.
 
 110 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 " I tell you what it is, Will Seaton," said 
 Charlie Grant, one of Allan's sturdiest sup- 
 porters, " you'd better drop your rhymes about 
 ' soft as mush,' and ' meek as Moses ' now. 
 There isn't a boy in the school who would 
 have faced the Doctor as old Al did this 
 morning. He's got lots of pluck, I tell 
 you. You couldn't have done that your- 
 self." 
 
 " I'll own up to that," said Will, candidly. 
 "I wouldn't wonder if I'd have walked the 
 first time the Doc ordered me out of the 
 room in that awful voice ; and I'm very sure 
 I couldn't have stood the second dose. Al 
 don't want spirit, after all, as he proved this 
 morning before that row came on. Do you 
 know, Ned," he asked, turning to Churchill, 
 who stood near, leaning against a tree, and 
 taking little part in the conversation, " that 
 he caught Bentley up, and lifted him clean 
 out of his path this morning, when Arthur 
 put himself in his way ? "
 
 TRUST AND SUSPICION. Ill 
 
 *oC3X*A>Q 
 
 " No," said Ned, his face lighting up 
 eagerly. Did he do that ? " 
 
 " Ask Bentley," laughed Will. It was a 
 good joke. I haven't seen a better in a long 
 while. Bentley went up to him for the mere 
 sake of chaffing him : and I put him up to it, 
 I'm sorry to say. He began with his impu- 
 dence, of which Al took no notice, until he 
 fairly stopped him in the road, and took his 
 Euripides right out of his hand. Al just 
 looked at him as cool as you please. Then 
 he caught him up by the trousers, and turned 
 him out of the road as if he'd been a snake. 
 I tell you I was mad enough at myself for all 
 I'd said and done this morning." 
 
 Ned did not answer. He stood glowering 
 wrathfully at Bentley, who had joined another 
 group gathered under a huge oak-tree near 
 by. The conversation turned now to the 
 case of the parody, and the evidence for and 
 against Allan. Ned did not listen to it for 
 long. Turning to Laurence Bronson, who
 
 112 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 stood near, he said, " Let's go up to the 
 Crag, Bronson : I'm tired of all this talk." 
 
 For a long while they walked on in silence, 
 for their hearts were full. Allan was a great 
 favorite with both, as indeed he was with the 
 greater part of the school ; for in spite of the 
 sobriquet of ' old Al,' which his steadiness 
 and sobriety had gained for him, and the fun 
 and jokes which were often played off at his 
 expense, there was scarcely a boy in the Hall 
 who did not honor him for his adherence to 
 the right, and love him for his unfailing kind- 
 ness and helpfulness to all who were in need 
 of aid. 
 
 They passed rapidly over the distance 
 which lay between the Hall and the giant 
 peak to which they had set out ; and, climb- 
 ing its rough side by a narrow and precipi- 
 tous path, came out upon a ledge of rock 
 overhanging the sea, and sat down there. A 
 huge wall of rock rising behind them shut 
 out all view of the land, and before them lay
 
 TRUST AND SUSPICION. 113 
 
 a great waste of blue water, bounded only by 
 the far-off horizon, whose waves dashed with 
 a roar like thunder against the opposing 
 crag. 
 
 " Laurence," said Ned, without raising his 
 eyes from the water upon which they had 
 been fixed ever since he had taken his seat 
 upon the ledge, " those fellows at the Hall 
 are the shabbiest set of scamps I ever knew. 
 There aren't half a dozen boys there who 
 believe in Allan. Half a dozen? I don't 
 believe there's one, besides yourself and me, 
 unless it's little Charlie. You don't mean to 
 say," he added, turning fiercely on Laurence, 
 who had not answered, " that you don't trust 
 him?" 
 
 " No : I don't mean to say any thing of the 
 kind," said Bronson, quietly ; " but I must 
 confess myself perfectly bewildered. Such a 
 strange thing happened this morning, Ned. 
 You remember Seaton's telling you about 
 Bentley's snatching Allan's book from him ? " 
 8
 
 114 ALLAN HATWOOD. 
 
 Yes." 
 
 " Bentley dropped the book when Al seized 
 him, and it fell in the road. There were a 
 lot of papers in it, and I gathered them all up. 
 As I handed them to Al, I said some trifling 
 thing about them; and you never saw a 
 fellow look so startled. He caught them 
 away from me as quick as a flash, and hid 
 them away in the book in no time, looking 
 all round to make sure that none had been 
 left behind. And, Ned, I'm almost certain 
 that paper was among them. In fact, I am 
 sure ; for I saw ' Parody ' written on the out- 
 side of it." 
 
 Ned sat thinking. He, too, remembered 
 just such an occurrence, and Allan's evident 
 anxiety lest he should see the papers which 
 he had placed in the book. Indeed, Allan's 
 confusion when Mr. Acton opened the Eurip- 
 ides had brought it to his mind before, but his 
 friend's manner had so convinced him of his 
 innocence, that he had put the recollection
 
 TRUST AND SUSPICION. 115 
 
 from him, feeling certain that he would ex- 
 plain it all in time. 
 
 " I don't know what it means," he said at 
 last, slowly and thoughtfully ; " but I do 
 know that no boy could possibly have borne 
 himself as Allan did to-day unless he were 
 perfectly innocent. ' Meek' those fellows call 
 him ! It would be a glorious thing for them 
 all if they could get hold of a little of his style 
 of.rneekness. What are we to do for him?" 
 
 Poor Ned ! if he had been a girl he would 
 have laid his head down upon Laurence's 
 shoulder and cried the tumult of his grief and 
 indignation into something like calmness. 
 But being a tall boy, fifteen years old, he 
 would not, perhaps could not, give himself 
 that blessed relief; so he sprang to his feet, 
 and began to pace up and down the narrow 
 ledge with swift, rapid strides. 
 
 " Laurence," he said, stopping suddenly in 
 his walk, " did you say that Bentley actually 
 had that book in his hand ? "
 
 116 ALLAN II AY WOOD. 
 
 " Yes, I said so. He held it for a full 
 minute I should think." 
 
 " And it was the same book from which 
 the parody was taken ? " 
 
 " Yes. But Ned Ned you surely 
 don't suspect Bentley of such a deed as that ? " 
 said Laurence, in a shocked voice, as his 
 companion's meaning flashed on him. 
 
 " I did not say so," replied Ned. 
 
 " And then the handwriting," suggested 
 Laurence ; " how can we account for that? " 
 
 " I don't pretend to account for it," was 
 the second unsatisfactory answer. 
 
 Two or three more of those rapid turns up 
 and down the rock were taken, and then Ned 
 said, " Laurence, I want to go back. Are 
 you ready ? " 
 
 " Yes ; and we need to go at once. We 
 will not have more than time to reach the 
 Hall before study-hour. It is past tea-time 
 now." 
 
 " Churchill," said Charlie Grant, running
 
 TRUST AND SUSPICION. 
 
 up to meet them as they entered the gates, 
 " here is a note which a man gave me for 
 you just now. I think it was Mr. Leonard's 
 man. Is it from dear old Al ? " asked the 
 child, lingering at Ned's side as he tore open 
 the envelope. 
 
 " Yes," said Ned, slowly, as his eye ran 
 over the few hastily written words. 
 
 " Does he say Mr. Leonard believes him ? " 
 persisted Charlie. 
 
 " Of course he does," replied Ned, sharply, 
 but without looking up from the note. 
 
 " And so do I, with my whole heart," said 
 the child, earnestly. 
 
 " You grand little fellow!" exclaimed Ned, 
 his face breaking into the first smile it had 
 worn that day. " Stick to him, Charlie boy. 
 We'll clear him yet, you and I ; " and, snatch- 
 ing him up in his arms, he kissed him twice. 
 
 Charlie stood looking after him in perfect 
 amazement ; as, having placed him on his 
 feet again, Ned turned away, and walked
 
 118 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 rapidly up the road toward the Hall, without 
 even waiting for Laurence. 
 
 Passing in through the main entrance, he 
 crossed over to the long school-room, and 
 walked straight to Allan Hay wood's desk. 
 The Euripides he had placed within it before 
 leaving the room that afternoon ; and now 
 taking it out, he opened it, and took from it 
 Allan's translation. That did not seem to 
 content him, for he looked the book over 
 carefully again and again. Then he ex- 
 amined the desk, but apparently with the 
 same unsatisfactory result; for he was rising 
 from it with a very disturbed expression of 
 face, when something lying on the floor at 
 his feet caught his eye. He stooped and 
 picked it up. It was a sheet of foolscap 
 paper, folded to about the size of that on 
 which the parody was written. Simply 
 glancing at it, he placed it in his pocket ; then 
 he smoothed out the crumpled note which he 
 still held in his hand, and re-read it.
 
 TRUST AND SUSPICION. 110 
 
 " DEAR NED, I have only time to write a 
 word or two ; but if you can get hold of my 
 Euripides, will you take from it some papers 
 which are there ? I am afraid that you will 
 laugh over them as sentimental scribbling, 
 but I must run the risk. Don't let any one 
 else see them. 
 
 " The thought of your dear, faithful face, 
 so full of trust when every other was dark 
 with doubt, kept me up until I reached the 
 Parsonage, where I am trusted as you trust 
 me ; and I want no more. 
 
 " Your ever grateful friend, 
 
 " ALLAN HAYWOOD.'' 
 
 "Oh, Al! Al! and only this morning I 
 called you * coward ' ! What a miserable fool 
 I was not to know your brave heart better 
 than that!" 
 
 He laid his head down upon the book, and 
 a great, heavy sob broke from him ; but no 
 tears came to soften the bitter, self-reproach- 
 ful sorrow which oppressed his heart. By
 
 120 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 and by he heard the voices of the boys as 
 they went by the windows. It was study- 
 hour, and in another moment they would be 
 in the room. Hastily placing the Euripides 
 in his own desk, he took out some of his 
 books ; and, by the time that the door was 
 thrown noisily open, was apparently en- 
 grossed in his studies. 
 
 Meantime, Allan, having been closeted for 
 an hour with Dr. Brayton, had set out for 
 the Parsonage, bearing with him a letter 
 which, the Doctor said, would be followed 
 that evening by a visit from himself to his 
 guardian. 
 
 A walk of five long miles lay before Allan, 
 a task for which he felt scarcely equal ; but 
 nothing would have tempted him to breathe 
 the truth to the Doctor. And when once he 
 had started, the fresh, bright air seemed to 
 invigorate him, and he arrived at his journey's 
 end without a recurrence of the strange pain 
 which had come upon him so often within
 
 TRUST AND SUSPICION. 121 
 
 the last day or two. But he was very tired, 
 so tired that he felt he must look white 
 and jaded ; and he paused at a few rods from 
 the Parsonage gate to rest awhile, for he did 
 not want to startle them with his pallid face. 
 
 It was a pleasant picture that met his eye 
 as he stood there leaning against a fence on 
 the opposite side of the road. The little 
 brown Parsonage embowered in the horse- 
 chestnut trees, with the sunlight flashing on 
 all its window-panes, looked like a gold-stone 
 set in green and white mosaic ; while the 
 clear sky, overarching all, formed a second 
 setting of blue enamel. And the prettiest 
 bit of coloring in all the sweet picture was 
 the gentle-looking woman sitting in that 
 window, with the lace curtain falling around 
 her like a veil, her head bent over her sewing, 
 and the soft ripple of her voice, as she war- 
 bled out the music of an old hymn, coming 
 to him as he watched her. 
 
 " Dear Aunt Carrie ! "
 
 122 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 There was no tie of relationship between 
 them save that which makes some women 
 kin to all on whom their sweet influence 
 falls ; but he had always called her by the 
 name since that first night on which he had 
 come, a perfect stranger, to her home ; brought 
 by her husband to whose care he had been left 
 by his dying father, an old friend of Mr 
 Leonard's. 
 
 She had been a beauty once, report said; 
 and certainly, with those silvery bands of 
 hair laid back from the smooth, fair brow, 
 with those bright, dark eyes which seemed 
 always looking yearningly out to see what 
 sunlight they could shed on a world full of 
 shadows, and those full red lips which were 
 ever breaking into happy song, the mistress 
 of Graydon Parsonage was something more 
 than a beauty now. 
 
 The very room in which she sat was full 
 of sweet memories to him. As he stood 
 waiting there, he recalled it as he had seen
 
 TRUST AND SUSPICION. 123 
 
 it on the night of his arrival ; the bright wood 
 fire blazing on the hearth, throwing a ruddy 
 glow over the pictures on the walls, and 
 flinging fantastic shadows on the dark wains- 
 coting; the neat, orderly room where every 
 thing looked easy and cosily comfortable, yet 
 where every thing was in its proper place, for 
 there were no darling, disarranging little 
 hands in the old Parsonage. Nearly thirty 
 years ago, a sunny little head had been laid 
 to rest in Graydon churchyard ; yet the 
 mother talked of her " baby " still. What if 
 the violets had blossomed over the tiny grave 
 for nearly thirty spring-times ; what if it were 
 so many long, long years since she folded 
 the little snowy dresses, and laid away the 
 small socks which should never cover dancing 
 feet again; was he not her "baby" still? 
 There had been no sorrow nor pain for him 
 in all those long years ; the smooth fair brow 
 had not been wrinkled with the cares of man- 
 hood; the soft, clear eyes had not grown
 
 124 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 serious and grave with thought and anxiety : 
 she had laid him in the Master's tender arms, 
 " a little child," when He had called him, 
 and 
 
 " They measure not by months and years, 
 Where he had gone to dwell." 
 
 And then the boy thought of the greeting 
 he had received. How the dimly-seen figure 
 sitting in the window, with her work-table 
 beside her, but with her hands folded idly in 
 her lap, singing softly in the gloaming, had 
 come quickly forward to meet him. How 
 she had taken his face between her hands and 
 kissed his forehead ; and then had drawn him 
 to the fire, and held his cold fingers in her 
 own warm grasp, and talked gently of his 
 journey and other trivial matters, until he 
 went up to his room ; and then how she had 
 come to him when he had laid his tired, 
 aching head upon the pillow, and, kneeling 
 beside his bed, had laid her hand tenderly on 
 his forehead, as she said, " So you have
 
 TRUST AND SUSPICION. 125 
 
 come to Graydon to be my boy, Allan. 
 Many, many years ago, my only little one 
 went up to the far-off land to which your 
 dear father and mother have just gone. They 
 have gone to my child, and their child has 
 come to me. I will love him very dearly for 
 my baby's sake ; and he will love me for his 
 mother's sake." He had laid his head upon 
 her breast without a word ; but from that 
 night s\\e had stood next to his mother in his 
 heart's love. 
 
 For full fifteen minutes, he had been lean- 
 ing against the fence, thinking over all this, 
 when suddenly she turned her head, and saw 
 him. In an instant, her work was thrown 
 aside, and although he went quickly to meet 
 her, she ran so swiftly that she reached the 
 gate before him. 
 
 " Allan, my dear boy, what is it? Have 
 you been sent home sick? " and taking both 
 his hands in hers, she looked anxiously in his 
 face.
 
 126 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 " I have been sent home, Aunt Carrie, but 
 not sick," he said with an effort to speak 
 cheerily. 
 
 " But you are sick. I see it in your face, 
 child. And sent home, you say. What do 
 you mean ? " 
 
 " I have been sent home in disgrace ; but 
 I declare to you, Auntie, it is on a false 
 charge. You must trust me, whoever else 
 doubts me. You will believe what I say, 
 Aunt Carrie ; no matter how much circum- 
 stances tell against me, won't you? " 
 
 " Certainly I will, my boy," she said, bend- 
 ing to kiss the earnest face. " But corne in, 
 and tell me all about it. How came ' old 
 Al,' " and she smiled as she quoted his school- 
 name, - " how carne ' old Al,' such a steady 
 old man as he, to have any serious charge 
 laid at his door?" 
 
 " Come in, and I will tell you all I know," 
 he said, "but that is very little. There is 
 Mr. Leonard at the window."
 
 TRUST AND SUSPICION. 127 
 
 " Why, Allan Hayvvood, what brings you 
 home at this time ? " said the minister, hurry- 
 ing down the walk to meet them. 
 
 " This will tell you more than I can," said 
 Allan, handing to him Dr. Drayton's letter. 
 " But, Mr. Leonard," and he grasped his hand 
 almost painfully, "don't condemn me un- 
 heard as he has done." 
 
 "Don't fear, my boy," he answered kindly; 
 and sitting down upon the step of the piazza, 
 he opened the Doctor's note, while Allan and 
 Mrs. Leonard passed on into the house. 
 
 Allan was not long in telling his story, 
 and he was just drawing to its close when 
 Mr. Leonard came in with the open letter in 
 his hand. 
 
 " This is a strange thing, Allan," he said ; 
 " some one has been using you most shame- 
 fully." 
 
 " He has been telling me the story," said 
 Mrs. Leonard. " And it seems to me, Horace, 
 that Dr. Drayton might have seen very easily
 
 128 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 that the plot has been rather against Allan 
 than against Professor Bentley." 
 
 " So it strikes me," said her husband. 
 " But read that letter, Allan, and see how 
 well the Doctor's version agrees with 
 yours." 
 
 The boy took the letter, and read it. It 
 gave a perfectly correct statement of all the 
 facts as they had occurred, although, of course, 
 Dr. Drayton's firm conviction that he was the 
 guilty party threw its coloring over the whole 
 recital. 
 
 " I can find no fault with that, sir," he 
 said, handing it to Mrs. Leonard. " Any one 
 can see from it that he considers me guilty ; 
 but as facts seem to prove that, I cannot 
 blame him. I think his injustice lies in ex- 
 pelling me from the school until such time as 
 I can prove my innocence, when its proofs 
 must, of course, be obtained in the school. 
 He is very much attached to Professor Ben- 
 tley ; and I suppose that his indignation has
 
 TRUST AND SUSPICION. 129 
 
 led him to this hasty course, for it is very un- 
 like him." 
 
 " Do you suspect any one, Allan ? " 
 
 " Not fairly, Mr. Leonard. I have a sus- 
 picion in my own mind, but it is too en- 
 tirely without foundation for me to speak of 
 it" 
 
 " Even to us ? " said Mrs. Leonard. 
 
 " Yes, Aunt Carrie, even to you ; for if I 
 am not right, I should be doing some one a 
 terrible wrong in breathing a suspicion of his 
 having done such a miserably wicked deed." 
 
 No answer was made to this, and after a 
 moment's silence, Allan said, 
 
 " I want to send a note to Ned Churchill. 
 Is Martin going up to the village ? " 
 
 " Yes : there he comes now with the wag- 
 on. I will call to him to wait ; " and Mr. 
 Leonard went out to stop the man, while 
 Allan wrote his few hurried lines. 
 
 " Why don't you lie down there for a little 
 while ? " said Mrs. Leonard, as he leaned
 
 130 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 wearily back upon the sofa after giving his 
 note to Martin. " You look completely tired 
 out." 
 
 " I felt so before I saw you," said Allan ; 
 " but I am nearly rested now. I wish I could 
 tell you, Aunt Carrie, how much good you 
 and Mr. Leonard have done me. I was sure 
 that I could convince you that it was all 
 false ; but I did not expect such perfectly un- 
 questioning confidence." 
 
 " You might have expected it, my boy," 
 she said as she arranged the sofa pillows 
 more easily for him; "for you know that we 
 never have had cause to doubt your word." 
 
 And as she sat beside him after he had 
 fallen into a heavy sleep, she wondered how 
 any one could doubt that honest, open face, 
 which even in his sleep seemed to give the 
 lie to the unworthy accusation. 
 
 The evening brought Dr. Drayton as he 
 had promised. He had a long talk with 
 Mr. Leonard, in which the latter did his
 
 TRUST AND SUSPICION. 131 
 
 best to convince him of Allan's innocence; 
 but the Doctor was not to be persuaded by 
 any thing short of absolute proof, and as that 
 was not in Mr. Leonard's possession, he 
 made but little impression upon him. He 
 listened respectfully to all that the minister 
 had to say ; but when all was said and done, 
 his opinion was evidently unaltered. Of one 
 point, however, Mr. Leonard did succeed in 
 convincing him ; and that was, if Allan were 
 not in fault, the guilty person had done even 
 worse than he was accused of doing; and 
 that, in his absence from school, the boy 
 could not have the faintest hope of discover- 
 ing his enemy. 
 
 " That is so," said the Doctor, in his grave, 
 passionless manner, when Mr. Leonard had 
 at last forced him to allow that he had been 
 too hasty in his punishment of the suspected 
 boy. " What should you advise to be done 
 in the case, Mr. Leonard ? You would not 
 counsel his readmission into the school ? "
 
 132 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 " I should most certainly advise it, if I 
 thought he would return," said Mr. Leonard, 
 warmly. " If we have been over-hasty in our 
 condemnation, we ought not to be over-slow 
 to acknowledge it. But it would be a very 
 trying thing for Allan to go back now. His 
 position would be a terrible one for such a 
 sensitive boy as he. Nevertheless, if you will 
 consent, I shall do all I can to influence him 
 to return to the Hall, for I consider that his 
 only chance of righting himself. Have I 
 your permission to propose it ? " 
 
 " I must ask for a little time for reflection," 
 said the Doctor. " I wish to be just; but I 
 cannot, as yet, see the slightest reason to 
 alter my judgment. You shall hear from me 
 to-morrow evening;" and, with a very stiff 
 bow, the Doctor left the house, feeling more 
 uncomfortable than he would have cared to 
 confess ; for, cold and stern as he was, he 
 was most sincere in his desire to deal fairly 
 and justly by his scholars.
 
 VII 
 
 PATIENT WAITING. 
 
 r I ""HE question of Allan's return to school 
 was not left either to his own decision or 
 to that of Dr. Drayton. He had quitted the 
 library quite early that evening, saying that 
 he was very tired, and had been but a few 
 moments gone, when a sharp cry startled both 
 Mr. and Mrs. Leonard, and made them run 
 quickly into the hall. Allan was sitting on 
 the stairs with his handkerchief held to his 
 mouth, bending over as if cramped with pain. 
 It needed but one glance to tell them what 
 had caused the cry which had brought them 
 to him ; for a dark, crimson stream was 
 staining the white handkerchief, and as they 
 reached him the boy sank back fainting on 
 the stairs.
 
 134 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 " I knew how it must end," said the 
 Doctor, as an hour later he stood beside the 
 bed to which Allan had been carried ; " but I 
 did not think things had come to such a 
 serious pass as this. Has he been exerting 
 himself beyond his strength, or been under 
 violent excitement ? " 
 
 " He has been much excited all day," said 
 Mr. Leonard, " owing to a difficulty with Dr. 
 Drayton in school ; but I don't know that he 
 has made any undue exertion, except that he 
 walked over from the Hall this afternoon; 
 and he has often done that." 
 
 Allan had been forbidden to speak, but the 
 Doctor saw something in his face which made 
 him say, " If you have suffered any heavy 
 strain, lift your hand." 
 
 The hand was lifted, and then fell slowly 
 back upon the bed. 
 
 " I thought as much," said Dr. Buford : 
 " but we will have him all right again soon. 
 This is a mere temporary affair, and with such
 
 PATIENT WAITING. 135 
 
 care as Mrs. Leonard will give him, he will 
 be out again in a day or two. But I would 
 give up school for the summer, my boy. 
 That comes hard, does it?" he went on, 
 noticing the pained, distressed look which 
 came upon Allan's face. " Well, we will see. 
 If you make haste to grow strong, I will let 
 you go to work again." 
 
 " Is he fond of study ? " asked the physician 
 as he followed Mr. Leonard into the library 
 when he had left Allan. " He looked so very 
 unhappy when I spoke of his leaving school 
 that I was sorry I had made the suggestion." 
 
 " No : he is not remarkably studious ; but 
 he 'has had a somewhat rough experience 
 there, poor fellow! " And the minister went 
 on to give the story of the morning. 
 
 " But how came he to be so unwilling to let 
 them handle the book containing the paper?" 
 asked the doctor, on whose impartial mind 
 the suspicious circumstances of the occurrence 
 had their effect.
 
 136 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 " Because it contained some lines written 
 by himself. What they were, I do not know ; 
 but he has quite a talent for poetry, of which 
 he is exceedingly ashamed. Even I have 
 seen only one or two of his pieces, and those 
 under protest. It seems that on Saturday, 
 something had occurred which suggested these 
 lines, and he wrote them off, and laid them 
 in an Euripides which he was using at the 
 time in preparing his lessons for Monday. 
 The extra task which Dr. Drayton imposed 
 upon him hurried him very much ; and in 
 that way, I suppose, he forgot to put his own 
 composition in some more private place. 
 At any rate, it was still lying in the book 
 when Mr. Acton examined it ; and Allan 
 supposed that it was this paper which Dr. 
 Drayton requested him to read to the school. 
 If you had any idea of the boy's exceeding 
 reticence and shyness with regard to his 
 poetic effusions, you would not wonder at 
 his being completely overcome with embar-
 
 PATIENT WAITING. 137 
 
 rassment and annoyance at the idea of a 
 private paper being subjected to the criticism 
 of such good-hearted but somewhat unmerci- 
 ful judges as any body of school-boys would 
 prove. No, no : our boy is innocent in 
 this affair ; and if you could hear him tell his 
 story, you would be as sure of it as we are." 
 
 " I dare say," said Dr. Buford. " It seems 
 strange indeed to think of Allan as guilty of 
 such an outrageous trick." 
 
 " But as to the boy himself, doctor ? Is this 
 hemorrhage from his lungs ? " 
 
 " I fear it is, Mr. Leonard. I must let you 
 into his secret, now that it is of no use to 
 keep it. He came to me on Saturday, and 
 asked me to examine his chest, saying that 
 he was quite sure his respiration was seriously 
 impeded from some cause. I did so, and 
 found reason to fear that his lungs were in a 
 very bad state ; but as I had lent my stetho- 
 scope to a neighboring physician, I was un- 
 able to make a thorough examination; and
 
 138 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 he engaged to come to me next Saturday for 
 a more intelligent verdict as to his condition. 
 He bound me by a promise not to speak of 
 his visit, which I gave on condition of his 
 giving a counterpromise that he would him- 
 self tell you what I had to say after next 
 Saturday's examination by the stethoscope. 
 He did not want to worry you, he said, with 
 any useless fears. But for himself, he pinned 
 me down closely to an answer, and I was 
 forced to confess that his chance for a long 
 life was very small. With good care, how- 
 ever, he will rally from this attack. You 
 must keep him cheerful, and try to banish 
 this unhappy affair from his mind as much as 
 possible." 
 
 " That will be a very difficult matter, doc- 
 tor; for it has wounded him most deeply," 
 said Mr. Leonard, sadly. " But we will do 
 all we can. We have always been very 
 anxious lest he should have inherited this 
 from his father ; but he never even whispered
 
 PATIENT WAITING. 139 
 
 a suspicion of his failing health or strength, 
 and, although he has always been a delicate- 
 looking boy, he seemed as well as usual." 
 
 " I know it. I was greatly surprised when 
 he confided to me how far the trouble had 
 progressed, but even then I did not anticipate 
 such a sudden change as this. He has prob- 
 ably had some strain, perhaps a fall, or some- 
 thing of the kind ; and that, added to the ex- 
 citement of this accusation, has prostrated 
 him. I will call early in the morning;" and 
 the doctor took his leave. 
 
 To Ned Churchill, that week of anxiety 
 passed on slowly enough. The rules of the 
 Hall, with regard to leaving the institution 
 on any day but Saturday, were most strin- 
 gent; and though Mary kept him constantly 
 informed of Allan's returning strength, he 
 longed so much to sec him, and assure him, 
 with his own lips, of his unshaken faith 
 and trust, that it seemed as if he could not 
 wait for that far-off Saturday. But at last it
 
 140 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 dawned ; and as soon as breakfast was over 
 he mounted his horse, which Thomas had 
 brought over for him, and rode away to the 
 Parsonage before going home. 
 
 A low whistle greeted him, as he threw 
 himself from his horse at the gate. Looking 
 up, he saw Allan at the window, and in 
 another minute he was in his room. " I 
 knew you would come to-day," Allan said; 
 "but I did not hope it would be so early. 
 What will Mary say? " 
 
 " Oh ! I have seen Mary every day this 
 week. But how are you, old fellow ? " 
 Pretty jolly ? " 
 
 " Very jolly since I have seen you," said 
 Allan, smiling, holding both Ned's hands 
 tightly in his as if he were afraid he would 
 escape him. " But sit right down here and 
 tell me all about things at the Hall. Are 
 they any better? What do the boys think 
 now?" 
 
 " They are all delighted that you put
 
 PATIENT WAITING. 141 
 
 Bentley down at last," said Ned, purposely 
 misunderstanding him; for Mrs. Leonard 
 had stopped him, as he sprang up the stairs, 
 to warn him not to talk of the parody affair 
 any more than he could help. 
 
 " That is not what I mean," said Allan, 
 quietly. " I am very sorry that I had to do 
 it ; but when Bentley went so far, I had to 
 put him out of my path in some way. But 
 as to the other thing, what do the boys 
 say?" 
 
 It was a hard question to answer, with 
 those anxious eyes watching him so intently. 
 
 " Oh, some of the stupids think it was your 
 doing," he said, as carelessly as he could; 
 " but you needn't care for what they think. 
 Little Charlie is strong on your side. He 
 fights for you like a Trojan." 
 
 " Bentley, of course, is against me, what, 
 not Bentley ! " he asked, catching a curious 
 expression on Ned's face. " Does he think I 
 am innocent ? "
 
 142 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 " I have not heard him say," replied Chur- 
 chill, evasively. " But he has some sense, if he 
 is a crabbed old stick ; so he must believe you." 
 
 " And Bronson, Austin, and the rest of our 
 set?" 
 
 Against him, every one of them. What 
 could the boy say ? He did not need to say 
 any thing, for Allan saw his answer in his 
 face. 
 
 " All doubtful, at least," he said, with a 
 little tremor in his voice. " Don't think me 
 a fool, Ned. I wouldn't mind so much if it 
 were only the dons who mistrusted me ; but 
 I can't bear to have the fellows think me 
 guilty. It would be bad enough to have 
 them suspect me of such a mean trick as that 
 was ; but to have them think me such a liar ! 
 Oh ! why can I not go back and search the 
 thing out?" 
 
 "Don't, Al! don't!" said Ned, pleadingly, 
 as Hay wood started up from his chair. " Sit 
 down, old boy. The thing shall be searched
 
 PATIENT WAITING. 143 
 
 out, I promise you. We'll be all right yet, 
 Al. Only wait awhile." 
 
 " 'They that wait upon the Lord shall re- 
 new their strength,' " said a soft voice just 
 behind them; and Mrs. Leonard, who had 
 entered the room, came forward and laid her 
 hand upon Allan's shoulder. " I have heard 
 only Ned's last words," she said ; " but I 
 know what you must have been talking of. 
 This will not do for you, dear boy. I thought 
 that you had resolved to ' commit your way 
 unto the Lord, trusting to Him to bring it to 
 
 " I had made up my mind to that," he 
 answered, more gently. " But sometimes it 
 almost seems as if I could not stand it. But 
 I will try, Aunt Carrie. We won't talk of 
 the doubters any more, Ned," he went on, as 
 Mrs. Leonard left them alone again. " We 
 will talk about little Charlie, who, I do believe, 
 would hold fast by me through any and every 
 trouble. He had been with me on Monday
 
 144 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 morning, just before you came in, assuring 
 me, with that earnest little face of his pressed 
 close to my shoulder, that there was one boy 
 in school who would never call me ' meek, 
 and that was Charlie Grant." 
 
 " They will none of them be likely to call 
 you that again, after your encounter with the 
 Doctor," said Ned. 
 
 " I am not glad of that," said Allan, slowly. 
 " As I told Charlie, I can see no reason to be 
 ashamed of such a character ; and if the boys 
 understand that term as I understand it, I 
 shall be sorry that I have done any thing to 
 make them think me undeserving of it." 
 
 " What a strange boy you are, Allan ! " 
 
 " In what way ? " asked Allan, quietly. 
 
 " You are so brave. I am coming to 
 think," he went on, comprehending at once 
 Allan's quick look, "that you have been 
 braver in your strong, patient resistance of 
 the opinion of the whole school, than you 
 would be in attempting to walk up the face
 
 PATIENT WAITING. 145 
 
 of Eagle Rock on a stormy night. But I 
 must confess I do not understand you. Your 
 temper is as quick as mine ; your enjoyment 
 of the fellows' good-will quite as great ; and 
 yet you keep control of the one, and set at 
 nought the other, as if you were the tamest 
 and most indifferent fellow that ever lived." 
 
 " I do love popularity, Ned ; and I knew 
 that my efforts to bear patiently with Bentley 
 would not do much toward gaining it for me. 
 But He whom I love, and whom I want to 
 serve, loved those who strove to walk peace- 
 ably with all men, and gave them a promise 
 that they should ' inherit the earth.' By 
 that promise, I understand that He will give 
 them that for which they long to do battle ; 
 that if they will bide His time, bearing all 
 reproach and contempt, rather than right 
 themselves by any unholy means, He' will 
 mike their cause clear as the noonday." 
 
 "Then you mean to wait, and not to lift a 
 
 finger in your own defence ? " 
 10
 
 146 ALLAN EAYWOOD. 
 
 " No : I mean to use my whole strength 
 in my own defence. Christ never meant us 
 to sit down idly, and let the world crush us at 
 its pleasure. He did not intend that Christian 
 men should have no rights ; but He did in- 
 tend that those rights should be maintained 
 in a spirit of gentleness and kindness. When 
 Bentley took my property out of my hands, 
 and forcibly placed himself in the way of my 
 duty, I think I did exactly what I should 
 have done in putting him out of my path ; 
 but I had no right to do any thing more. If 
 he had struck me, I hope I should have done 
 no more than I did. In this other matter, 
 I shall do my all to clear myself; but if, for 
 that end, I must use any ungenerous means, 
 I shall try to leave it wholly in God's hands, 
 and bear the shame as best I may. I shall 
 be righted some day." 
 
 " And you are content to wait ? " 
 " I have a strong promise on which to 
 build content," he answered, smiling ; " and J
 
 PATIENT WAITING. 147 
 
 must try to make my building as strong as 
 its foundation-stone." 
 
 " And have you any clew on which to 
 work?" 
 
 " Yes : I have one clew, but it is too slight 
 for me to speak of, even to you. I cannot 
 .clear myself by throwing suspicion on an- 
 other, unless I know that he is guilty." 
 
 The two boys looked at one another in 
 silence, each knowing full well the thought 
 that lay in the other's mind. After a while, 
 Allan said, coloring deeply as he asked the 
 question, " Did you find my papers ? " 
 
 " Yes, but not in your book. They were 
 on the floor, underneath your desk." 
 
 " Dropped for the third time, eh ? I shall 
 take care how I make a portfolio of a book 
 again. My inveterate carelessness has been 
 a sad fault for me this time. This will be a 
 lesson for my life." 
 
 Ned handed him the papers; and, after 
 glancing hastily over them, Allan was laying
 
 148 ALLAN HAT WOOD. 
 
 them aside, when a thought seemed to strike 
 him. 
 
 " Ned," he said, " these lines were never 
 meant for any eyes but mine ; but I think 
 that it may happen that your having seen 
 them may be of use ta me. Last Saturday, 
 I took the advice which you have been giving 
 me for so long, and went to see Dr. Buford. 
 Don't be startled. He only told me what I 
 felt sure of before ; and that was, that I was 
 not likely to live to be an old man." 
 
 Ned did not answer, simply because he 
 dared not ; but Allan felt the arm upon which 
 he had laid his hand tremble beneath his 
 touch. 
 
 " It is nothing much, Ned, only the thoughts 
 that came into my mind after my talk with 
 the doctor; but when you have read them, 
 you will not wonder that, thinking this 
 was the paper which Dr. Drayton had 
 given me, I refused to read it before the 
 school."
 
 PATIENT WAITING. 149 
 
 Ned took the paper, and turning a little 
 aside from Allan, read it. 
 
 THE MASTER'S CALL. 
 
 They tell me a solemn story, but it is not sad to me, 
 For in its sweet unfolding my Saviour's love I see. 
 They say that, at any moment, the Lord of Life may come, 
 To lift me up from this cloud-land, into the light of Home. 
 
 They say I may have no warning, I may not even hear 
 The rustling of His garments as He softly draweth near, 
 Suddenly in a moment upon my ear may fall 
 The summons to leave our homestead, to answer the Mas- 
 ter's call. 
 
 Perhaps He will come in the noon-tide of some bright and 
 
 sunny day, 
 When, witli dear ones all around me, my life seems bright 
 
 and gay ; 
 
 Pleasant must be the pathway, easy the shining road, 
 Up from this dimmer sunlight into the light of God. 
 
 Perhaps He will come in the stillness of the mild and quiet 
 
 night, 
 When the earth is calmly sleeping 'neath the moonbeam's 
 
 silvery light, 
 When the stars are softly shining o'er slumbering land and 
 
 sea, 
 Perhaps, in that holy stillness, the Master will come for 
 
 me.
 
 150 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 I think I would rather hear it that voice so low and 
 
 sweet 
 
 Calling me out from the shadows, my blessed Lord to meet, 
 Up through the glowing splendors of a starry, earthly night, 
 To " see the King in His beauty " in a land of purer light. 
 
 It seemed to Allan a long while before 
 Ned turned toward him again. When he 
 did, it was to lay his hands upon his shoulders, 
 and looking full in his face to say, 
 
 " Allan Haywood, last Monday morning 
 I called you a coward. I believe that is the 
 first lie my lips have ever spoken. To-day, I 
 tell you, as I shall tell all who know you, that 
 you are the bravest fellow Edward Churchill 
 has ever seen." 
 
 " Thank you," said Allan, earnestly. " That 
 has done me more good than all the medicine 
 in the land could have done." 
 
 It really seemed so ; for when Mrs. Leon- 
 ard came up to his room, shortly after Ned 
 had left it, she noticed at once a change for 
 the better in his tell-tale face. 
 
 " Ned's visit has done you good," she said.
 
 PATIENT WAITING. 151 
 
 One can see that at the first glance. What 
 has he been doing to brighten you up so 
 much ? " 
 
 " Trusting me, that is all ; but it is enough," 
 was Allan's answer. " If they all would do 
 that until I have a chance to defend myself, 
 I could be patient with this weakness." 
 
 But all did not do that ; and Allan was 
 
 made to feel day by day that even his nearest 
 
 
 
 friends were at least doubtful of his innocence. 
 Laurence Bronson, Frank Austin, and some 
 others, came to see him, and were kind and 
 friendly in their manner; but none of them 
 made any allusion to his trouble, and Allan, 
 feeling sure that if they had trusted him they 
 would have given him the support and com- 
 fort of their sympathy, was as silent on the 
 subject as they. 
 
 Another circumstance had occurred which 
 seemed to add a link to the chain of evidence 
 which was forging itself against him. On 
 his return from the Parsonage on Monday
 
 152 ALLAN SAY WOOD. 
 
 evening, Dr. Drayton had sent for Allan's 
 Euripides in order to ascertain for himself 
 whether the boy had been correct in telling 
 Mr. Leonard that the book contained some 
 lines of his own. Of course, he did not find 
 them ; and the boys of his class were called 
 into the study, and asked, one by one, if they 
 knew any thing of the missing papers. Ed- 
 ward Churchill promptly acknowledged their 
 possession, hoping thereby to silence all 
 farther questionings ; but the Doctor was not 
 so easily satisfied. 
 
 " Did you find them in this book ? " he 
 asked, lifting the Euripides from the table 
 beside him. 
 
 " No, sir. His note told me they were ly- 
 ing in it, but I found them on the floor be- 
 neath his desk. They must have been 
 dropped there." 
 
 "Humph!" said the Doctor. "Young 
 gentlemen, can any of you throw any light 
 on this painful subject ? Bronson, you are
 
 PATIENT WAITING. 153 
 
 much in Hay wood's company. Can you 
 give me any help ? Can you assure me that 
 you, for one, have no reason to suspect him, 
 other than the occurrences which took place 
 before me in the school-room ? " 
 
 Laurence hesitated. Edward gave him a 
 quick, impatient look, which, unfortunately, 
 the Doctor caught. 
 
 " I will have no collusion here," he ex- 
 claimed angrily. " I must come to the truth 
 of this matter. Bronson, answer my ques- 
 tion. Yes or no?" 
 
 That paper, with the one word " Parody " 
 written on it, danced before Bronson's troubled 
 eyes; but not for worlds would he have said a 
 word to injure Allan. 
 
 " I cannot answer," he said at length. " I 
 am in the dark." 
 
 " And the darkness in which you stand 
 has thrown another shadow over Haywood," 
 said the Doctor. " You would have done as 
 well to have answered simply, ' No.' The 
 class is dismissed."
 
 154 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 They passed quietly out, the conviction 
 fixed on almost every mind that Allan was 
 guilty, and that Churchill and Bronson were 
 in some way cognizant of his misdemeanor. 
 
 So day after day passed on, and week aftei 
 week. Allan's spirits, at first hopeful and 
 bright, began to flag and sink beneath the 
 weight of suspicion against which he was 
 powerless to contend. Dr. Buford saw, with 
 disappointment, that he did not rally as he 
 had hoped he would do from his attack. He 
 regained sufficient strength to ride out, and 
 even to walk for a short distance; but there 
 he seemed to pause. 
 
 " It is all this miserable affair at the Hall 
 which is keeping him back," said the doctor 
 to Mr. Leonard one afternoon. " Suppose 
 you take him away for a few weeks ? " 
 
 " No," said Allan, who had entered the 
 room and caught the last words. " If you 
 are talking of me, I cannot leave Graydon 
 until I have cleared myself of this charge. It
 
 PATIENT WAITING. 155 
 
 would do rne no good. Don't order me away 
 with this rope about my neck, doctor. It is 
 this which is choking me, and the knot can be 
 untied only here." 
 
 " Well, perhaps you are right," said the 
 doctor. " But it seems a hard knot to un- 
 ravel." 
 
 " Yes ; but it will be unravelled in time," 
 said Allan; " and I will try to wait pa- 
 tiently." 
 
 And so he did wait, and wait in patience 
 too. But it was weary work, work that 
 took the brightness from his eyes, and the 
 color from cheek and lip.
 
 VIII. 
 
 BEN THOMPSON. 
 
 HT^HE effect, even on Allan's life, of the cir- 
 cumstances connected with his expulsion 
 from school, was scarcely less marked than 
 that produced upon Edward Churchill. As 
 week after week passed on, and nothing was 
 discovered, his bright and cheerful face grew 
 more and more dark and clouded, and his 
 v/hole manner and disposition seemed to be 
 growing gloomy and morose. Even Lau- 
 rence Bronson and Frank Austin, his sworn 
 allies, could do nothing to draw him out of 
 his reserve and depression. They did not 
 believe fully and entirely in Allan's inno- 
 cence; and so, feeling injured, impatient, and 
 angry on his account, he " left them to theii
 
 BKN THOMPSON. 157 
 
 folly," to use his own words. Poor fellow! 
 if there had only been something, however 
 little, that he could have done, it would not 
 have been so bad; but to sit patiently down 
 and wait, was something which was quite 
 out of character in Ned's case. Every sense 
 was perfectly on the alert to discover some 
 clew, however trifling, which might tend 
 toward the explanation of the strange mys- 
 tery ; but eye and ear, and all else, were alike 
 baffled so far. No watchfulness or care had 
 brought him a single step farther than he had 
 been on the day of Allan's disgrace. 
 
 Meantime, Allan was failing very fast; and 
 the doctor's orders that he should be taken 
 from the scene of his trouble were now im- 
 perative. It was the first week in June ; and 
 the boy, in spite of his extreme unwillingness, 
 was to leave home some time during the next 
 week. He had confided his anxiety to Ned, 
 saying that he knew he would only be the 
 worse for the journey; and Churchill was
 
 158 ALLAN HAYWOOD. 
 
 almost in despair, for he loved Allan as if he 
 were his own brother. 
 
 It was Saturday; and determining sud- 
 denly, when on his way home, that he would 
 go over to the Parsonage and urge one more 
 plea against the journey, begging Mr. Leon- 
 ard to postpone it, at least, for another week, 
 he sent Thomas back with his horse, saying 
 that he preferred to walk. Turning oli" from 
 the road, he took a side-path leading through 
 the woods, which would shorten his walk to 
 the Parsonage by two miles, at least. 
 
 But he had scarcely taken more than a 
 step or two in this new direction, when he 
 again altered his course ; for coming down the 
 narrow pathway directly towards him, walking 
 with slow step and bent head, he saw Arthur 
 Bentley. In his present mood, there was no 
 one in the world whom he would less gladly 
 meet. The path was so narrow that one 
 must stand aside for the other to pass, and, 
 of course, words of one kind or another must
 
 BEN THOMPSON. 159 
 
 be spoken between them. To speak courte- 
 ously to him was out of the question for Ned 
 at that moment, and he turned into the 
 bushes, not having been noticed by Bentley, 
 intending to wait until he should have passed 
 by, and then to go on his way. 
 
 Bentley came slowly on. For some weeks 
 he had seemed to avoid his companions more 
 than ever; and Ned, who watched him close- 
 ly, had seen him, more than once, walking 
 alone in this absorbed, preoccupied manner; 
 and suspicions, already aroused, were not 
 allayed by his appearance. That something 
 was weighing heavily on his mind, no one 
 who saw him could doubt; and Ned felt 
 morally sure that he knew what that some- 
 thing was. As he stood looking at him, 
 completely hidden by the thick shrubbery, he 
 heard another step following Bentley's, and 
 the next moment a rough voice, close at 
 Arthur's side, said, " Mr. Bentley, hold up a 
 minute."
 
 160 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 " What a guilty start ! " thought Ned, as 
 Arthur, turning quickly, faced the speaker. 
 
 But it did not need that one should of 
 necessity be guilty of crime because he started 
 at being suddenly addressed by such ail ill- 
 looking fellow as the boy whom Arthur now 
 confronted. They both knew him well ; for 
 he had served as stable-boy at the Hall, and 
 had been dismissed for dishonesty some 
 weeks before. 
 
 " What do you want of me, Ben ? " asked 
 Arthur, sharply. " I am in a hurry." 
 
 " Didn't seem so," said Ben, with a low, 
 ugly laugh. " Was taking things pretty slow 
 I thought. Any thing on your mind, Mr. 
 B. ? " 
 
 Bentley's face grew red with passion, then 
 paled again, perhaps with terror, but he 
 answered hotly, " You will do well to behave 
 yourself, Ben Thompson, or you may be 
 called up for theft yet." 
 
 The fellow laughed again, more insolently
 
 BEN THOUfPSOtf. 16] 
 
 than before; and Ned wished most heartily 
 that he were out of his hiding-place. 
 
 " Perhaps I might be called up, sir, and 
 then perhaps I mightn't There's worse 
 things done in the world, Mr. Bentley, than 
 taking a few oats from a rich man. We all 
 know what's gone on in the Hall, and some 
 on us knows more than the rest. There's a 
 Drayton boy, sir, as lies a dyin' with the 
 blame of another feller's doin's fixed on him. 
 I wonder how that other feller feels, Mr. 
 Bentley?" 
 
 Arthur turned white under the gaze of those 
 half-shut, squinting eyes; and he answered, 
 more wrathfully than before, " What do I 
 care for your wonder ? Let me pass you : I 
 will not be kept here ; " and he attempted to 
 push past him, but Ben threw himself still 
 more effectually in his path. 
 
 " Perhaps you'll care more when you see 
 this;" and he held a crumpled paper 
 towards him. With a cry, Arthur sprang 
 11
 
 162 ALLAN HAYWOOD. 
 
 to catch it; but his adversary was too 
 quick for him. 
 
 " No, no, sir. Not yet," he said, taunt- 
 ingly, holding it behind him ; but he did not 
 know his foe. 
 
 In a moment, Arthur had thrown himself 
 upon him, borne him to the ground, and 
 wrested the paper from his grasp. At the 
 same time, Ned, unable longer to bear the 
 position of a spy, came out and stood on the 
 pathway beside them ; but neither of the two 
 combatants saw him. 
 
 " Have you any other papers ? " asked 
 Arthur, in a low, fierce whisper. Not a 
 threat did he utter; but the coward who lay 
 beneath him, terrified by his sudden over- 
 throw, saw enough in his face, and he quailed 
 before him, frightened as a child. 
 
 "Yes, yes," he gasped: "only let me up, 
 and I will tell you. I only wanted to make 
 a little something out of them, Mr. Bentley. 
 Say you'll give me a dollar, and I'll give 'em
 
 BEN THOMPSON. 163 
 
 up. I found 'em here in this very path the 
 day the Doctor raised all the fuss." 
 
 Yes : he remembered it well. How he had 
 gone out to destroy the packet of papers, and, 
 on corning to the water in which he had 
 meant to sink them, had found "the packet 
 gone. He remembered it all. His sickening 
 terror, his search, and then the certainty which 
 had gradually grown upon him that they had 
 been irrecoverably lost. 
 
 But Ben knew nothing of all this. He 
 saw nothing but the colorless, dark face above 
 him, heard nothing but, " Where are the 
 others ? " asked in a tone of concentrated 
 fury, which fairly made him quake with terror. 
 
 " At home. Oh, Mr. Bentley ! let me up. 
 I'll bring them to you, every one." 
 
 Bentley did not fear but that he would 
 keep his word, for the craven face was abso- 
 lutely abject in its fear; but he added the one 
 inducement which, as he knew, would have 
 weight with the covetous boy.
 
 164 ALLAN HAYWOOD. 
 
 " Go and get them at once. If you bring 
 them to me untouched, I will give you two 
 dollars. Here, on the spot. You promise ? " 
 
 " I promise." 
 
 Beritley released him from the tight grasp 
 in which he had held him all through, and, 
 rising to his feet, allowed him" to rise in his 
 turn. 
 
 " Now go," he said, " and I will wait until 
 you come back. Be quick ; " and he watched 
 him, as he slunk off, with unutterable con- 
 tempt written on every feature of his face. 
 
 But, after all, what was there to choose 
 between the two ? The one, stalwart, strong, 
 and handsome, the; other, small, weak, and 
 evil in look ; but the same mean, pitiful spirit 
 dwelt in both. 
 
 " You do well to look scornfully after that 
 wretch, Arthur Bentley. But how do you 
 suppose Drayton boys will look at you ? " 
 
 If a voice had sounded from the sky, Arthur 
 Bentley could not have been more utterly
 
 BEN THOMPSON. 165 
 
 appalled. He had thought himself entirely 
 alone ; and turned to find Ned Churchill close 
 at his side. Not another word was spoken. 
 For a moment, the two boys stood and gazed 
 at one another, fierce determination in the 
 one face, utter desperation in the other. The 
 next moment, Arthur had sprung like a tiger 
 upon Ned. 
 
 But he had no cowardly Ben Thompson 
 to deal with now. Ned's natural strength 
 was nearly equal to his own ; and Ned was 
 fresh, while he was in part exhausted by his 
 effort to control Ben's struggles. They went 
 down together, but Ned was uppermost. 
 
 " Bentley," he said, with great effort forc- 
 ing himself to speak quietly, " promise on 
 your honor that those papers shall be given 
 by Ben to me, and I will let you up. If not, 
 you lie here until I can obtain help. Will 
 you promise?" 
 
 " No ! " came the answer, sharp and loud. 
 Ned's reply was a long, shrill, piercing call.
 
 166 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 Little Charlie Grant, coming singing down 
 the main road, heard it, but could not tell 
 whence it came. He tried to imitate it, and 
 succeeded so well that Ned heard him, and 
 calling again and again, guided him to the 
 spot. 
 
 The child stood still in utter bewilderment, 
 as, dashing into the pathway in wondering 
 haste, he saw Bentley stretched upon the 
 ground, and Ned holding him down. 
 
 "Why, Churchill!" he exclaimed. "Two 
 Seniors ! What will Dr. Drayton say ? " 
 
 " Hush, Charlie. Do just as I tell you, and 
 we'll save Allan yet. Don't stop to question, 
 but rush down to old Jacob Thompson's, and 
 tell him to keep Ben a prisoner at home un- 
 til I come ; and don't let him destroy any 
 papers. Tell him Allan Haywood's life de- 
 pends on it. Fly now, little fleet-foot. Mr. 
 Acton has gone to the village. If you meet 
 him, send him here." 
 
 Not an instant did Charlie wait for ques-
 
 BEX THOMPSON. 167 
 
 tion or parley. Allan his beloved Allan 
 might yet be saved ; and he might aid in the 
 work. Surely those little feet, renowned in 
 the school for their swiftness, never flew over 
 the ground so rapidly as they did on that 
 bright June morning. Only once they paused. 
 Meeting Mr. Acton near the village, he 
 stopped, and directing him to the spot where he 
 had left Ned, told him simply that he was 
 needed there, and rushed off again on his 
 errand. He was just in time. As he burst 
 into Jacob Thompson's cobbler-shop, Ben 
 was leaving it. The little fellow put out 
 his hand to stop him, for he was fairly 
 breathless. 
 
 " My father's in the shop. He'll attend to 
 you," said Ben, gruffly, trying to pass him. 
 
 "I don't want your father. 
 Stop a minute." 
 
 " I can't wait: I'm in a hurry," said Ben ; 
 and he tried to drag away his sleeve which 
 Charlie was holding tightly.
 
 168 ALLAN HAYWOOD. 
 
 " What's the matter here ? " said the cob- 
 bler, coming out from his shop, attracted by 
 the noise. " In trouble again, Ben ? " and he 
 looked anxiously from his son to Charlie's 
 crimsoned face. 
 
 " O, Mr. Thompson ! " gasped Charlie : 
 " don't let him go. Mr. Churchill says to 
 keep him here till he comes. It's something 
 about Allan Haywood : I don't know what. 
 Oh, keep him, keep him ! " he entreated, for 
 Ben's arm was forcing itself from his grasp. 
 " Somehow Churchill expects to clear Allan. 
 Don't let him go ; " and the excited, wearied 
 child burst into an agony of crying. 
 
 " Go into the shop, Ben ; and if I find 
 you've had to do with this business of Mr. 
 Haywood's, you'll suffer for it," said his father, 
 sternly. " And you, Master Grant, don't take 
 on, but come in too. What's it all about ? 
 My boy's a bad boy, but I can't believe he's 
 had any hand in this business. Somebody's 
 played Mr. Haywood a mean trick, and a
 
 BEN THOMPSON. 169 
 
 wicked one too ; but what could my Ben 
 have to do with it ? " 
 
 " Ay : I'd like to know ? " asked Ben, rough- 
 ly : " what do you mean to turn on me for ? " 
 
 " I don't know," said Charlie, " what it all 
 means myself. All I know is, that Churchill 
 and Bentley have had a quarrel over it, and 
 that Churchill told me to rush over here to 
 keep Ben from leaving until he should come. 
 And he told me, Mr. Thompson, to tell you 
 that Haywood's life might depend on it, and 
 that you was to be sure not to let Ben destroy 
 the papers." 
 
 " What papers ? " asked the father. 
 
 " I don't know : that's all he said. He 
 was holding Bentley down, and couldn't say 
 much." 
 
 " Ben Thompson," said his father, " you've 
 brought evil enough on me already, but 
 if you've had any hand in this matter, it will 
 go hard with you. If you have papers 
 that Mr. Churchill wants, that's any way con-
 
 170 ALLAN EAYWOOD. 
 
 nected with the thing, you had best, for your 
 own sake, give them up at once. The folks 
 at the Manor House are the last people in 
 the world for us to ansrer after all their kind- 
 
 o 
 
 ness to us when we were sick and poor. 
 What have you got, boy, that Mr. Ned wants ? " 
 
 It was always Ben's principle to be on the 
 winning side. He had given his promise to 
 Arthur Bentley to deliver the papers into his 
 hand, but that was when he felt himself com- 
 pletely in his power. Now it seemed Arthur 
 was on the losing side of the battle, and his 
 father's face looked very hard and severe. 
 He hesitated, and in his hesitation his father 
 saw his guilt. 
 
 " Give me the papers instantly ! " he said, 
 seizing him by the shoulder. 
 
 " But Mr. Bentley promised me two dol- 
 lars for them," whimpered the boy; "and 
 they're his, anyway." 
 
 " I don't care whose they are. They're 
 his for no good if he had to buy them from
 
 BEN THOMPSON. 171 
 
 you, you young good-for-nothing! Give 
 them up, or I'll search you on the spot." 
 
 And so it happened that when Edward 
 and Mr. Acton arrived at Thompson's shop, 
 their work was done for them. Thompson 
 handed Edward the packet of papers, beseech- 
 ing him to spare his son, if Haywood could 
 be vindicated without his punishment ; and 
 Edward promised ; " for, Mr. Ned," said the 
 honest man, " I've always done my best, and 
 kept my name up. poor as I am." 
 
 Dr. Drayton was walking slowly up and 
 down the length of his study, deep in thought, 
 when a loud rap at the door startled him out 
 of his reverie. 
 
 " Come in ! " he said, and Mr. Acton and 
 Edward Churchill answered the summons. 
 
 The Doctor looked somewhat surprised, for 
 he was quite aware that Ned had purposely 
 avoided, so far as possible, all intercourse 
 with him since Allan's dismissal from school. 
 
 " May I have ten minutes' conversation
 
 172 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 with you, sir ? " asked Churchill. " It is 
 very important." 
 
 " Certainly," replied the Doctor, stiffly. 
 
 There was nothing very encouraging in his 
 tone, but Edward went on, unheeding, 
 
 " There is a packet of papers, sir, belonging 
 to Bentley of our class. I do not know what 
 they are ; but they relate in some way to 
 Allan Haywood." 
 
 " How did they come into your posses- 
 sion ? " asked the Doctor, coolly. 
 
 Ned told him all that he knew from the 
 moment of his leaving the Hall until that in 
 which Thompson had given the papers into 
 his hand. Dr. Drayton stood and listened to 
 him in silence, and when he had ended his 
 story, asked quietly, " And this is all that you 
 know about these papers? You have not 
 seen them, nor heard what they contain ?" 
 
 " No, sir. I know nothing. I only be- 
 lieve." 
 
 " You may have reason to suspect, but you
 
 BEN THOMPSON. 173 
 
 have no right to believe until you know 
 more," said the Doctor. " Send both the 
 Bentleys to me ; and you, Churchill, remain 
 within call." 
 
 But when they had left the room, the Doc- 
 tor sat suddenly down, and leaning his head 
 on his hands almost groaned out the words, 
 " Oh, if I had but trusted him ! Poor boy ! 
 poor boy ! " 
 
 For full two hours after he had conveyed 
 Dr. Drayton's message to the elder and 
 younger Bentley, Edward Churchill sat wait- 
 ing in a little room adjoining the study, with- 
 out being summoned to confront the two 
 brothers. He could hear, from time to time, 
 the sound of the Doctor's voice through the 
 partition wall, deep and stern, but never 
 raised to a loud key ; and once he heard the 
 voice of Professor Bentley speaking passion- 
 ately, whether to the Doctor or his brother 
 he could not tell. After a while, the door of 
 the study opened, and closed again, and some
 
 174 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 one Arthur, he thought passed slowly 
 through the hall, and up the stairs. A few 
 moments after, Dr. Drayton's heavy step 
 crossed the floor, traversed the hall, and came 
 to the door of the room in which he sat 
 waiting. It paused there for a moment, and 
 when at length he entered the room Ed- 
 ward wondered if he had been forced to wait 
 to recover composure, for the expression of 
 the Doctor's face was strangely changed since 
 he had last seen it. 
 
 " Churchill," he said, as the boy rose to meet 
 him, " I have kept you waiting here unnec- 
 essarily. I had supposed that your evidence 
 might be needed in this wretched case. But 
 I was mistaken. Bentley has confessed 
 every thing ; not in penitence, I fear, but the 
 papers you. placed in my hands convicted 
 him beyond a doubt, not only of having writ- 
 ten that parody, but of having forged Hay- 
 wood's handwriting in order to accomplish 
 his expulsion from the Hall. The packet
 
 BEN THOMPSON. 175 
 
 contained the first rough draft of the parody 
 in Bentley's own hand, corrected and revised, 
 and various other papers in which he had 
 imitated Haywood's writing. Some of them 
 were perfect imitations, fac-similes of the 
 writing in an old composition of Allan's 
 of which he had gained possession." 
 
 Edward stood and listened in silence, as 
 the Doctor said all this in a low, sad voice, 
 whose gentleness told the depth of his distress. 
 As he had sat there waiting, he had imagined 
 to himself his interview with Dr. Drayton 
 after Bentley's conviction, for convicted he 
 knew that he must be. He had pictured his 
 own triumphant bearing as his master owned 
 himself in error, and his proud assertion that 
 he had always known that Allan would be 
 proved innocent. But as he listened to the 
 quiet voice, and looked up into the troubled 
 face, he felt any thing but triumphant. He 
 stood a moment, wondering what he ought 
 to do, and then spoke out his sympathy by
 
 176 ALLAN HAT WOOD. 
 
 saying simply, " I am so sorry for you, 
 sir." 
 
 " Yes," said the Doctor, in the same low 
 tone. " You may well be sorry for me, my 
 boy. There is no sadder heart to-day in this 
 village than mine. God grant that my ter- 
 rible mistake may not have shortened that 
 poor boy's life." 
 
 They stood together in silence again for 
 some moments ; and then the Doctor said, lay- 
 ing his hand on Edward's shoulder, 
 
 " I owe it to you, to make you the bearer 
 of the good tidings to Allan. Tell Sam to 
 saddle my horse for you, and ride over at 
 once." 
 
 Edward hesitated. He longed to be the 
 herald of such glorious news, but could it 
 be that his feeling of something near akin to 
 hatred of his master had changed so entirely ? 
 Yes, it was so. In his intense pity for the 
 man whose heart was almost broken by the 
 news which had been such a perfect joy to
 
 BEN THOMPSON. 177 
 
 him, he said, " Go over yourself, Dr. Drayton. 
 It will be a comfort to you. I will see Allan 
 later." 
 
 " No : I hardly know whether it would be 
 a comfort to see him in the fulness of his first 
 delight," said the master. " It would only 
 show me how deep his grief has been. No: 
 you have been true to him all through, 
 Churchill. Go to him now, and tell him, if 
 you can, how bitter my sorrow is. I will see 
 him toward evening." 
 
 12
 
 IX. 
 
 REPARATION. 
 
 A LLAN HAYWOOD was lying on the 
 couch in the sitting-room, idly watching 
 Mrs. Leonard's busy fingers as they stitched 
 rapidly away at her sewing, and listening as 
 idly to the music of her sweet voice, as she 
 sang softly over her work. He was supremely 
 happy that afternoon, for Dr. Buford had, in 
 the morning, given his consent to his remain- 
 ing at home. " Simply because he is too far 
 gone to be helped by the change," the doctor 
 had said, in answer to Mr. Leonard's inquir- 
 ies ; " and we may as well let him have his 
 own way during the few weeks he has to 
 live, if it be any comfort to him." 
 
 Allan knew he was worse, for he had seen
 
 REPARATION. 179 
 
 the look of anxiety in the doctor's face when 
 he had examined his lungs that morning; but 
 even if he had heard the words spoken to Mr. 
 and Mrs. Leonard, taking from them the last 
 remnant of hope, he would have been just 
 as content. So long as he might remain at 
 home, he was happy. 
 
 " Who is that?" he asked, as the clatter of 
 a horse's hoofs sounded on the road. " Some 
 one is coming on the gallop. Why, it is 
 Ned ! See how flushed and excited he looks," 
 he added, as his friend rode past the window 
 to the door. " And on Dr. Drayton's horse 
 too ! Oh ! Aunt Carrie, something must have 
 happened." 
 
 " Don't do so, Allan dear," said Mrs. Leon- 
 ard, laying her hand on him, as he started 
 up with flushed face and trembling hands : 
 "you are so on the watch for some news 
 that the least trifle destroys all your com- 
 posure. Do wait, my boy." 
 
 " I think I have not much longer to wait,
 
 180 ALLAN HAYWOOD. 
 
 Aunt Carrie," he said, excitedly. " I am 
 sure, quite sure, that Ned has come with 
 good news. Oh, there he is ! Well, Ned ? " 
 
 Ned had intended to enter very quietly and 
 soberly, and to begin his story very deliber- 
 ately, slowly progressing by degrees to its 
 climax; but that delighted, expectant face, 
 the outstretched hands, the joyous voice, 
 scattered all his rhetoric to the winds. He 
 hesitated, then began to speak, and hesitated 
 again, looking helplessly at Mrs. Leonard, 
 afraid of exciting Allan, and not knowing 
 how to proceed. 
 
 " Tell me," said Allan, quietly, his com- 
 posure returning instantly at sight of Ned's 
 confusion. " I think I know all about it. 
 Ned, am I cleared ? " 
 
 " Yes," said Ned, desperately : " Fully and 
 entirely cleared ! " 
 
 He did not spring up nor cry out. He 
 only turned his face to the pillow, and lay 
 very still. Not a word more was spoken for
 
 SEPARATION. 181 
 
 many minutes; then he lifted his face, and 
 laid his hand on Ned's. 
 
 " How did you do it ? " he said, with a 
 bright, happy smile. 
 
 " How do you know I did it at all ? " said 
 Ned, smiling back at him. " But it is a mis- 
 erable story to tell," he went on gravely. 
 " You have been most awfully treated, Allan ; 
 but I do believe I am as sorry for Dr. Dray- 
 ton as I am for you." And then he told him 
 all the story. 
 
 " I knew it must come right," said Allan* 
 when Edward ceased speaking. " Poor Dr. 
 Drayton I Far-seeing and perfectly just as 
 he generally is, this must be very hard upon 
 him. And Bentley too ! How the fellow 
 must feel ! " 
 
 " Bentley indeed ! " exclaimed Ned, indig- 
 nantly. " He'll know what it is to be ex- 
 pelled now. And he'll be followed by the 
 hatred of the whole school besides. Even 
 Will Seaton, his sworn ally and defender,
 
 182 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 says that he will never speak to him again. 
 If any thing could make me sorry for Bentley, 
 it would be Will's throwing him off; for I 
 do believe that Seaton is the only person in 
 the world, besides his brother, whom Arthur 
 loves. But it is no worse than he deserves, 
 the miserable scamp ! " 
 
 " Hush, Ned, hush ! " said Allan, gently. 
 " I can't help but pity him." 
 
 "/can, and help it very easily too. If he 
 were sorry, you might pity him ; but the fel- 
 low don't care a fig about you, Allan. He'd 
 let you suffer this right over again if he 
 could." 
 
 " Perhaps he is more sorry than the Doctor 
 thinks. He was always very reserved and 
 proud, you know, and he would hide his feel- 
 ings if he could." 
 
 " I don't believe they'll be so overpowering 
 that he'll find much trouble in hiding them," 
 replied Ned, almost angrily. 
 
 Allan laughed a joyous little laugh.
 
 REPARATION. 183 
 
 " Well, never mind Bentley. I am so happy 
 that I'm ready to think the best of everybody 
 and every thing. You'll let me be sorry for 
 the Doctor, won't you ? " 
 
 " Yes," said Ned, pleasantly. " I can't say 
 a word there, for I'm so sorry for him myself. 
 Poor old Doc! He'll find it pretty hard to 
 come down to an apology. I'd like to hear 
 what he has to say to you." 
 
 But neither Ned nor any one else, save 
 Allan himself, heard what Dr. Drayton had 
 to say. He came into the house shortly after 
 Ned had left (the boy having hurried home 
 to tell Mary the joyful news), with the two 
 Bentleys ; the Professor having insisted upon 
 Arthur going with them, and asking Allan's 
 forgiveness. 
 
 Ronald Bentley's anger, mortification, and 
 really sincere grief, when he found out the 
 truth with regard to Allan, could scarcely find 
 words in which to express themselves; and 
 his scathing scorn fell like a tempest upon
 
 184 ALLAN HAYWOOD. 
 
 Arthur's unhappy head. No words were too 
 hard or cruel for his use ; and the boy was 
 almost stunned by the storm which had so 
 suddenly, and, so far as his brother was con- 
 cerned, so unexpectedly broken upon him. 
 But instead of subduing or awing him, it 
 seemed only to render him hard and reckless. 
 He had remained quietly in a lonely room, 
 according to Dr. Drayton's orders, ever since 
 his interview with him, and had as obediently 
 followed his brother, when commanded by 
 him to accompany them to the Parsonage. 
 And now, when met in the hall by Mr. Leon- 
 ard, he stood looking the image of dogged 
 resolution, plainly quite determined to brave 
 it out to the end. 
 
 Mr. Leonard looked surprised, as well he 
 might; but Dr. Drayton, coming quickly for- 
 ward, said, "Professor Bentley felt that he 
 must see Allan, if only for a moment. But 
 but would he be willing to see me 
 alone?"
 
 REPARATION. 185 
 
 This hesitating, embarrassed, almost timid 
 man, could it be Dr. Drayton of Drayton 
 Hall? If Mr. Leonard had seen him a 
 moment later, when he entered the sitting- 
 room where Allan still lay upon the sofa, he 
 would have been even less able to identify him 
 with his ward's calm, self-poised, immovable 
 teacher. 
 
 Allan rose to meet him with a beaming 
 face, but Dr. Drayton, hurrying forward, put 
 him gently back. 
 
 " Do not rise," he said. " I have only come 
 only come I want to say " And then 
 the strong, set face broke, and he bent over 
 the boy with a great sob surging up from his 
 very heart. 
 
 " Oh, Haywood, Haywood ! " was all he 
 said. 
 
 " Don't try to tell me what you want to 
 say, Doctor," said Allan, laying his thin hand 
 on the master's shoulder. " I know what it 
 is. I am very, very glad and thankful."
 
 186 ALLAN HAT WOOD. 
 
 " And I am sorry, grieved to my very heart, 
 Haywood, that I have been so fearfully mis- 
 taken. Can you forgive me? Through all 
 the years of my life as a teacher, justice and 
 impartiality have been the virtues which I 
 have aimed most earnestly to exhibit, the 
 virtues to which I had vainly flattered myself 
 I had attained. And now " 
 
 " And now you are showing that you have 
 not flattered yourself, sir. This has been a 
 terrible grief and sorrow to me, Dr. Drayton, 
 and I confess I thought you too severe ; but I 
 have never doubted, for a moment, that my 
 old friend was a noble, true-hearted rnan." 
 
 " And you can forgive him ? " 
 
 " I can. I have already forgiven all who 
 have had any thing to do in the matter. It 
 is time for me to forgive every one who has 
 ever done me any wrong," he added gently. 
 " You know that, I suppose, Doctor? " 
 
 " Yes," he said, very sadly. " Allan, tell 
 me truly this one thing. Was this trouble
 
 REPARATION. 187 
 
 fixed upon you before the time of your unjust 
 punishment?" 
 
 "Yes, sir, it was," said Allan, looking 
 frankly into his face. " Fixed beyond any 
 thing more than temporary alleviation. Do 
 not distress yourself with any such mistaken 
 idea as that this has brought my illness upon 
 me. Now, Doctor, will you do me one 
 favor?" 
 
 " I wish I could do you a hundred," was 
 the quick response. 
 
 " Thank you. One will do," said Allan, 
 with a smile. " Keep Bentley in the school. 
 Don't expel him." 
 
 " He is already expelled," said Dr. Drayton, 
 his face darkening; "at least, so far as his 
 own knowledge of the fact goes. He is to 
 be publicly disgraced at the first session of 
 the school on Monday." 
 
 " Where will he go ? What school will 
 take a boy who has been expelled from Dray- 
 ton ? "
 
 188 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 " None, I presume. Bentley knew what he 
 was doing; now he must suffer its conse- 
 quences." 
 
 " And all his fine talents will be thrown 
 away and wasted. Dr. Drayton, you will 
 drive him to despair." 
 
 " While you stand and plead for him," 
 said the master, with a husky sound in his 
 voice which gave Allan some hope. " Will 
 you see Professor Bentley ? He would like 
 to speak with you for one moment." 
 
 " Let him come," said Allan. " He will 
 help me to plead for his brother." 
 
 Professor Bentley was a hard, unrelenting 
 man, but he was an honorable gentleman ; 
 and it was with a face crimsoned with shame 
 that he spoke his few words of humble apology 
 for the unwittingly cruel part he had played. 
 Allan's forgiveness was as quickly spoken. 
 
 "Professor Bentley," said Dr. Drayton, as 
 soon as Allan had finished speaking, " Hay- 
 wood has been asking a favor of me. He
 
 REPARATION. 189 
 
 would have me recall Arthur's expulsion from 
 th: Hall." 
 
 " And I would have you hold to it. I will 
 never give my consent to such recall. He 
 has proved himself a false, low, mean fellow. 
 Let him consort with such, and not with 
 gentlemen." 
 
 His face was terrible in its wrath, but 
 Allan was determined to win his point. 
 
 " Mr. Bentley," he said, " you would not 
 refuse a drink of cool water to a dying man, 
 I know. I am dying." 
 
 " And thirsting for this cooling draught," 
 said Dr. Draytdn, gently. " Bentley, let him 
 have his way. I will call Arthur." 
 
 " Is he there? " asked Allan. " Then please 
 leave rne with him." And they went away, 
 and sent Arthur to him. 
 
 What passed between the two boys, no 
 one ever knew. Arthur remained in the sit- 
 ting-room but a few moments ; and when he 
 came out, he did not speak save to answer
 
 190 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 his brother's hastily spoken question, " Did 
 you ask his forgiveness ? " 
 
 "I did not need to," he said. "It was 
 given."
 
 X 
 
 THE "STARRY NIGHT.*' 
 
 ~*WO weeks had passed quickly by, and 
 again, on one beautiful Saturday morn- 
 ing, Edward Churchill was riding rapidly 
 over the road lying between the Hall and 
 the Parsonage. But now his face told no 
 story of eager gladness and joy ; for a mes- 
 senger had come to him from Mrs. Leonard, 
 to tell him that Allan was dying, and wanted 
 to see him. 
 
 Those two weeks had been days of perfect 
 happiness to Allan. Restored, of course, to 
 the full confidence and friendship of his old 
 companions, and treated by all with a loving 
 tenderness which strove to make up for past 
 coldness and injustice, the boy's sick-room
 
 192 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 had grown a little Paradise to him. Mr. 
 Leonard had feared that the excitement and 
 revulsion of feeling might prove too much for 
 his fast failing strength ; but it seemed rather 
 to nerve and invigorate him. For the first 
 ten days after the discovery of Bentley's plot 
 against him, he had steadily gained in 
 strength and appetite, and his wan face had 
 seemed to fill out, and to lose its look of 
 pallid whiteness. 
 
 " Oh ! Allan will get well, won't he, Mrs. 
 Leonard ? " little Charlie Grant had asked 
 only yesterday, as he leaned on the arm of 
 Allan's chair. " He does look so bright and 
 well." 
 
 And Mrs. Leonard answered hopefully, 
 that she thought he might, at least, grow 
 strong enough to go up to the Hall, and see 
 them all some day. 
 
 Charlie had been his first visitor after Dr. 
 Drayton and the Bentleys. Early on the 
 Sabbath morning following, he had asked
 
 THE " STARRY NIGHT." 193 
 
 permission to stop in before Sabbath school 
 with Ned ; and Dr. Drayton, ready to grant 
 any request which might give pleasure to 
 Allan, had given his consent. Since then, he 
 had been as much with Allan as his school- 
 duties would permit ; and no little ten-year- 
 old nurse could have been more careful and 
 tender in his attentions, nor more enthusias- 
 tically hopeful of his patient's recovery. 
 
 But for the last day or two, Allan had been 
 slowly sinking back into the weakness and 
 lassitude from which he had been so sudden- 
 ly roused. " You are looking very tired and 
 exhausted," Mrs. Leonard had said to him 
 the night before, as she gave his pillows a last 
 touch before she lay down to rest on the sofa 
 in his room. 
 
 " Yes," he had answered wearily. " The 
 bed feels very comfortable. Perhaps I had 
 better not attempt to leave it again." 
 
 He had been comparatively quiet all night, 
 and just at dawn she lay awake, listening for 
 18
 
 194 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 any sound from him, and hoping from his 
 stillness that he might be sleeping comfortably, 
 when a little choking sound which she had 
 heard once before, and which she knew only 
 too well, made her spring to her feet in terror. 
 He raised himself in the bed, and put his 
 hands over his mouth, but the crimson tide 
 would not be stayed. 
 
 The only word he spoke, when at length he 
 opened his eyes, was " Ned ; " and Dr. 
 Buford, who was sitting beside him, whis- 
 pered hurriedly, 
 
 " Send at once if he wants him, or it will 
 be too late." 
 
 " So soon," said Allan ; and then he 
 shook his head with a curious, incredulous 
 little smile. 
 
 And he was right. The gentle Angel of 
 Death paused on the threshold through all 
 that day. They knew that he stood there, 
 but he did not enter in. Hour after hour 
 passed on, and Ned still sat beside his friend,
 
 THE "STARRY NIGHT." 195 
 
 their hands clasped close ; and still, although 
 Allan could only speak a word from time to 
 time, the angel stood waiting. 
 
 It was growing toward dusk when he 
 moved his hand in Ned's clasp, and whis- 
 pered, " Will you give me this one gift?" 
 
 "What is it?" asked Ned, tenderly as a 
 woman speaks to her dying child. 
 
 " Forgiveness for Arthur." 
 
 " O Allan ! " He bent his face down upon 
 the pillow. Allan lifted his hand, and laid it 
 upon his forehead. 
 
 " My poor Ned! 'Tis a costly gift, but I 
 want it so." 
 
 The dusky twilight passed on into the 
 night, a glorious night of cloudless sky, beau- 
 tiful with brilliant stars; and yet the face 
 upon the pillow had given no answer. By 
 and by Allan spoke again, 
 
 " I am so tired," he said. " Lie down be- 
 side me, Ned, and let us sleep, as we used to 
 sleep together at school"
 
 196 ALLAN HAY WOOD. 
 
 Ned rose, and lying down at his side put 
 his arm about his neck, and kissed him. " I 
 will try my very best," he said ; " but, oh ! 
 Allan, it is very hard." 
 
 " Yes," said Allan ; " but I know that you 
 will do it, for ' thy love to me is wonderful, 
 passing the love of women. ' ' 
 
 He lay very still, looking out of the open 
 window; and Mrs. Leonard stole away, 
 thinking he might sleep if alone with Ned. 
 But she had scarcely left them, when he said, 
 " What were the exact words of my poor old 
 song, Ned ? Do you remember ? 
 
 " I think I had rather hear it, that voice so 
 low and sweet " 
 
 " I think I would rather hear it, that voice so low and 
 
 sweet, 
 
 Calling me out from the shadows, my loving Lord to meet ; 
 Up through the glowing splendors of a starry, earthly night, 
 To see the King in His beauty in a land of purer light," 
 
 repeated Ned. 
 
 " Yes, it would be very beautiful," said 
 Allan, his voice sinking low again, " To
 
 THE "STARRY NIGHT." 197 
 
 step from glowing star to glowing star until 
 we find ourselves standing in the glorious 
 light of His face. I am so tired, Ned. Let 
 us go to sleep." 
 
 Turning a little, he laid his hand on Ned's 
 shoulder, and seemed to fall into a quiet 
 slumber at once. Ned listened a few mo- 
 ments to his gentle breathing; and then, 
 wearied out with his grief, fell asleep beside 
 him. 
 
 Mrs. Leonard, watching in the next room, 
 came in at last to look at the two boys. She 
 stood beside the one for a moment, bent and 
 kissed the white, still face ; then leaning over 
 Ned, softly spoke his name. He opened his 
 eyes, and held up his finger warningly. 
 
 " He has had his wish," she whispered 
 tenderly. " He has gone from the shadows, 
 through the glowing, starry night, to see the 
 King in His beauty." 
 
 Cambridge : Frees of John Wilson and Son.
 
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