lady raising dark eyelashes, whom she
resembled. I talked of the portrait to Heriot, and as I had privileges
accorded to none of the other boys and could go to her at any hour of the
day after lessons, he made me beg for him to have a sight of it. She
considered awhile, but refused. On hearing of the unkind refusal, Heriot
stuck his hands into his pockets and gave up cricketing. We saw him
leaning against a wall in full view of her window, while the boys crowded
round him trying to get him to practise, a school-match of an important
character coming off with a rival academy; and it was only through fear
of our school being beaten if she did not relent that Julia handed me the
portrait, charging me solemnly to bring it back. I promised, of course.
Heriot went into his favourite corner of the playground, and there looked
at it and kissed it, and then buttoned his jacket over it tight, growling
when I asked him to return it. Julia grew frightened. She sent me with
numbers of petitions to him.

'Look here, young un,' said Heriot; 'you're a good little fellow, and I
like you, but just tell her I believe in nothing but handwriting, and if
she writes to me for it humbly and nicely she shall have it back. Say I
only want to get a copy taken by a first-rate painter.'

Julia shed tears at his cruelty, called him cruel, wicked, false to his
word. She wrote, but the letter did not please him, and his reply was
scornful. At prayers morning and evening, it was pitiful to observe her
glance of entreaty and her downfallen eyelashes. I guessed that in
Heriot's letters to her he wanted to make her confess something, which
she would not do. 'Now I write to him no more; let him know it, my
darling,' she said, and the consequence of Heriot's ungrateful obstinacy
was that we all beheld her, at the ceremony of the consecration of the
new church, place her hand on Mr. Boddy's arm and allow him to lead her
about. Heriot kept his eyes on them; his mouth was sharp, and his arms
stiff by his sides. I was the bearer of a long letter to her that
evening. She tore it to pieces without reading it. Next day Heriot walked
slowly past Mr. Boddy holding the portrait in his hands. The usher called
to him!

'What have you there, Heriot?'

My hero stared. 'Only a family portrait,' he answered, thrusting it safe
in his pocket and fixing his gaze on Julia's window.

'Permit me to look at it,' said Mr. Boddy.

'Permit me to decline to let you,' said Herio