the Doctor comes in--I tell you what I shall do. I shall go
straight home and find young Roly. I shall give him this stone, and just
tell him to say some wish after me. I don't believe there are many
things it can't do, and all I can say is--if you find yourself and all
this jolly old school (except Dulcie) taken off somewhere and stuck down
all at once thousands of miles away on a desolate island, or see
yourself turned into a Red Indian, or, or a cabhorse, you'll have
yourself to thank for it--that's all. Now you can have them all up and
fire away."

"No," said Paul, in a broken voice, for, wild as the threat was, he
could not afford to despise it after his experiences of the stone's
power, "I--I was joking, Dick; at least I didn't mean it. I know of
course I'm helpless. It's a sad thing for a father to say, but you've
got the best of it.... I give in ... I won't interfere with you. There's
only one thing I ask. You won't try any more experiments with that
miserable stone.... You'll promise me that, at least?"

"Yes," said Dick: "it's all right. I'll play fair. As long as you behave
yourself and back me up I won't touch it. I only want to stay as I am. I
don't want to hurt you."

"You won't lose it?" said Paul anxiously. "Couldn't you lock it up? that
fastening doesn't look very safe."

"It will do well enough," said Dick. "I got it done at the watchmaker's
round the corner, for sixpence. But I'll have a stronger ring put in
somewhere, if I think of it."

There was a pause, in which the conversation seemed about to flag
hopelessly, but at last Dick said, almost as if he felt some compunction
for his present unfilial attitude: "Now, you know, it's much better to
take things quietly. It can't be altered now, can it? And it's not such
bad fun being a boy after all--for some things. You'll get into it
by-and-by, you see if you don't, and be as jolly as a sandboy. We shall
get along all right together, too. I shan't be hard on you. It isn't my
fault that you happen to be at this particular school--you chose it! And
after this term you can go to any other school you like--Eton or Rugby,
or anywhere. I don't mind the expense. Of, if you'd rather, you can have
a private tutor. And I'll buy you a pony, and you can ride in the Row.
You shall have a much better time of it than I ever had, as long as you
let me go on my own way."

But these dazzling bribes had no influence upon Mr. Bultitude; nothing
short of complete res