g as he was, he had already relieved his grandmother
from his own maintenance: he had turned to the utmost account his
education at the endowed school at Northwold; by sheer diligence, had
obtained, first a scholarship and then a fellowship at Oxford; and now,
by practising rigid economy, and spending his vacations in tuition, he
was enabled to send his sister to a boarding-school. He had stolen a
few days from his pupils on hearing of Fitzjocelyn's danger, but was
forced to return as soon as the improvement became confirmed. On the
previous day, he asked Mary to walk with him to the scene of the
accident, and they discussed the cause with more coolness than they
really felt, as they shuddered at the depth of the fall, and the size
of the stones.

James declared it all the fault of that runaway scamp, young Madison,
in whom Louis had always been deceived, and who had never been seen
since the night of his apparition in the garden.

'Poor boy! I suppose that was the reason he ran away,' said Mary.

'A very good thing, too. He would never have been anything but a
torment to Louis. I remember telling him he was setting the stones so
as to break the neck of some one!'

'I think it would be of more use to build them up than to settle how
they broke down,' said Mary. 'Do you think we could manage it safely?'

'A capital thought!' cried James, eagerly, and no sooner said than
done. The two cousins set to work--procured some cement from the
bricklayer in the village, and toiled at their masonry with right
good-will as long as light and time served them, then made an
appointment to meet at half-past six next morning, and finish their
work.

When the rendezvous took place, they were rejoicing over Mrs. Frost's
report of an excellent night, and over her own happy looks, from which
James prognosticated that all her fatigue and watching had done no harm
to her vigorous frame, for which gladness was always the best cordial.
It was a joyous beginning on that spring morning, and seemed to add
fresh sparkles to the dazzling dewdrops, and double merriment to the
blackbirds and thrushes answering each other far and wide, around, as
the sun drew up the grey veil of morning mist. 'They all seem holding a
feast for his recovery!' exclaimed Mary, warming for once into poetry,
as she trudged along, leaving green footmarks in the silver dew.

'Well they may,' said James; 'for who loves them better than he? I
grudge myself this lo