one she always cried out, 'Oh dear! it is
in me; I feel it in my fine dark-blue eyes.' So to please her they had
to cut off every thing on the island which bore thorns, and to grub up
every bit of the roots; and when the princess died they buried her;
and, to punish her for hating thorns, a thorn grew out of each of her
two eyes, and they bear beautiful blue eyes to this day, just like
those the princess had, and they call them hawthorns."

Thus Clement ended his story with a triumphant smile. Ivo regarded him
with a bright, merry face. Whatever Clement told was so delightful! His
words clung to each other like the pearls of a beautiful necklace: all
Clement did or said was far beyond compare with any thing else in the
wide, wide world.

At Ivo's suggestion they had vowed to each other to be great men, and
they now encouraged each other to the most unremitting industry. Every
thing was easily done, as each did it for the other's sake. Ivo even
kept the head-place in the class for a whole year. Clement was not so
lucky, because his imagination always ran away with him. Whatever he
saw excited him, and he forgot the subject on which he should have been
engaged: when the teacher addressed questions to him he awoke as from a
dream and answered awry.

The secret league, however, could not long remain concealed from their
companions; for, as lovers often think themselves unperceived while
giving the most unmistakable signs of affection, so fared our friends.
Nevertheless, Ivo's high position soon put a period to the bantering
which was at first attempted, and it was not long before others
endeavored to thrust themselves into the league of friendship. But the
gates were closed against them: Clement was particularly vigilant, and
the advances ceased. Only when Bart persisted, with great
submissiveness, in frequenting their company, did Ivo make an
exception. He was favored to walk by their side after dinner, and to be
near them when they were playing in the yard. When Bart had eaten his
fill he was quite a bright lad and anxious to learn. He was ready to do
any thing which could bring him near the head of the class, too. Fond
as he was of Ivo and Clement, therefore, their high position in the
class was one of the causes of his attachment; nor, by a special
stipulation of Clement's, was he ever admitted into the inmost
sanctuary of their friendship.

Leaving fairy-tales behind them, our friends entered upon another
field,