and the helpless
languor, though there was much hope for the one, and scarcely any for the
other. While to Harold's apprehension, Alfred was always just the same,
only worsening visibly from month to month; Paul was better or worse
every time he came in, and when fresh from hearing his breath gasp with
sharp pain, or receiving his feeble thanks for some slight service, it
was not in Harold to go out and get into thoughtless mischief.

Moreover, there were helpful things to do at home, such as Harold liked.
He was fond of chopping wood, so he was very obliging about the oven, and
what he liked best of all was helping his mother in certain evening
cookeries of sweet-meats, by receipts from Mrs. Crabbe. On the day of
the expedition from Ragglesford, the young gentlemen had found out that
Mrs. King's bottles contained what they called 'the real article and no
mistake,' much better than what the old woman at the turnpike sold; and
so they were, for Mrs. King made them herself, and, like an honest woman,
without a morsel of sham in them. She was not going to break the Eighth
Commandment by cheating in a comfit any more than by stealing a purse;
and the children of Friarswood had long known that, and bought all the
'lollies' that they were not naughty enough to buy on Sundays, when, as
may be supposed, her shutters were not shut only for a decent show.

And now Harold did not often ride up to the school without some little
master giving him a commission for some variety of sweet-stuff; and
though Mrs. King used to say it was a pity the children should throw away
their money in that fashion, it brought a good deal into her till, and
Harold greatly liked assisting at the manufacture. How often he licked
his fingers during the process need not be mentioned; but his objection
to Ragglesford was quite gone off, now that some one was nearly certain
to be looking out for him, with a good-natured greeting, or an inquiry
for Paul. He knew one little boy from another, and felt friendly with
them all, and he really was quite grieved when the holidays came, and
they wished him good-bye. The coach that had been hired to take them to
Elbury seemed something to watch for now, and some thoughtful boy stopped
all the whooping and hurraing as they came near the house on the bridge.
Some other stopped the coach, and they all came dropping off it like a
swarm of black flies, and tumbling into the shop, where Mrs. King and her
daughter had