to reach you about the same time as this letter. You've done nothing
to deserve a present from me, and a box on the ears would be much
better bestowed. Never mind. Take care of this little gift for me,
in memory of the jolly Christmas you and I last spent together, and
when you are not kicking up a row with your cronies at Randlebury or
have nothing better to do, think of your affectionate

"Uncle Ralph."

Much to the fag's astonishment, Charlie, having perused this letter,
slammed up Cicero, and seizing the cap from off his (the fag's) head, as
being most ready to hand, dashed out of school in the direction of the
village.

"Trot!" he exclaimed, as he reached the establishment of that familiar
merchant, "hand up that little box, you old villain! Do you hear?"

The long-suffering Trotter, to whom this address was comparatively
polite in its phraseology, was not long in producing the parcel, in
acknowledgment of which Charlie gave his sign manual in lordly
characters upon the receipt; and then, burning with impatience, yet
trying hard to appear unconcerned, walked swiftly back to the school.

The fag was hanging about his study, scarcely less curious than himself.

"Hook it!" cried his master, putting the parcel down on the table and
taking out his penknife to cut the string.

Still the inquisitive fag lingered. Whereupon Charlie, taking him
kindly yet firmly by the collar of his coat, conveyed him to the open
window, whence he gently dropped him a distance of six feet to the
earth.

Privacy being thus secured, he turned again to his parcel and opened it.
Imagine his delight and my agony when there came to light a splendid
gold watch and chain! I turned faint with jealousy, and when a second
glance showed me that the interloper was no other than the identical
gold repeater whom I had known and dreaded in my infancy, I was ready to
break my mainspring with vexation. To me the surprise had brought
nothing but foreboding and despair, and already I felt myself discarded
for my rival; but to Charlie it brought a rapture of delight which
expressed itself in a whoop which could be heard half over the school.

"What on earth's the row?" said a head looking in at the door; "caught
cold, or what?"

"Come here, Jim, this moment; look at this!"

And Jim came and looked, and as he looked his eyes sparkled with
admiration.

"My eye, Charlie, what a beauty!" said he, taking up the treasure in his
ha