ad, as usual, been spending part
of the morning with Averil. No one seemed to be so much taken by
surprise as Tom, whose first movement was to fall on his sisters for
not having made him aware of such a preposterous scheme. They thought
he knew. He knew that all the five quarters of the world had been
talked of in a wild sort of a way; but how could he suppose that any
man could be crazed enough to prefer to be an American citizen, when he
might remain a British subject?

Repugnance to America was naturally strong in Tom, and had of late been
enhanced by conversations with an Eton friend, who, while quartered in
Canada, had made excursions into the States, and acquired such
impressions as high-bred young officers were apt to bring home from a
superficial view of them. Thus fortified, he demanded whether any
reasonable person had tried to bring Henry Ward to his senses.

Ethel believed that papa had advised otherwise.

'Advised! It should have been enforced! If he is fool enough to alter
his name, and throw up all his certificates what is to become of him?
He will get no practice in any civilized place, and will have to betake
himself to some pestilential swamp, will slave his sisters to death,
spend their money, and destroy them with ague. How can you sit still
and look on, Ethel?'

'But what could I do?'

'Stir up my father to interfere.'

'I thought you always warned us against interfering with Henry Ward.'

He treated this speech as maliciously designed to enrage him. 'Ethel!'
he stammered, 'in a case like this--where the welfare--the very
life--of one--of your dearest friend--of Mary's, I mean--I did think
you would have been above--'

'But, Tom, I would do my utmost, and so would papa, if it were possible
to do anything; but it is quite in vain. Henry is resolved against
remaining under British rule, and America seems to be the only field
for him.'

'Much you know or care!' cried Tom. 'Well, if no one else will, I
must!'

With which words he departed, leaving his sister surprised at his
solicitude, and dubious of the efficacy of his remonstrance, though she
knew by experience that Tom was very different in a great matter from
what he was in a small one.

Tom betook himself to Bankside, and the first person he encountered
there was his little friend Ella, who ran up to him at once.

'Oh, Mr. Tom, we are going to America! Shall you be sorry?'

'Very sorry,' said Tom, as the little hand was