e paradise of his parental home had sunk in ruins, over which
the figure of his mother alone hovered like an angel of light; and once
he said to himself, very softly, "Her name is not Christina in vain:
she is just like the Savior. She bears the heaviest cross with a smile,
and thinks not of herself, but of others."

Thus it came to pass that he looked forward to the end of the holidays
with far less regret than he would have supposed when he first returned
home.

9.
THE FRIENDS.

In the first few days of his renewed convent-life the old home-sickness
returned. He reproached himself with not having enjoyed his holidays to
the full, with having suffered himself to be put out by things which
were not so bad as they seemed; but he had made up his mind to profit
by the example of Aloys, and not add to his mother's troubles by
writing her sorrowful letters.

During his former stay at the convent his thoughts had been so much at
home that he had not identified himself with the peculiar circumstances
and associations of this abode. All this was now otherwise. "My mother
says we can do any thing we really want to do," he said to himself,
"and that shall henceforth be my motto."

Ivo and Clement had welcomed each other warmly in the presence of the
other boys. Everybody had a great deal to tell. At noon, when the class
were taking their usual ramble, Ivo and Clement, as if by a tacit
understanding, lagged behind; and, under a blooming hawthorn, where no
one could see them, they fell upon each other's necks and kissed each
other fervently. The larks roystered in mid-air, and the hawthorn waved
to a gentle breeze. With faces radiant with joy, their arms flung
around each other's necks, they went back to the road and rejoined
their comrades. Ivo made a long imaginary speech, of which he only
pronounced aloud the words "still and holy," and looked into the
shining depths of Clement's eye, and they grasped each other's hands.
Then Clement struck Ivo and ran away to the others. Ivo well understood
this as a hint to conceal their league and covenant from general
observation. They mingled with the others; but, soon finding themselves
side by side again, they struck, chased, and dodged each other, until
they were again separated from the crowd; then they began a sham
wrestle, which soon turned to a warm embrace, and each murmured, "Dear
Ivo," "Dear Clement." So in