ed to Theo and
her pupil. They were busy over the Monday Bible-lessons, it being a
wise rule of the young teacher to follow up the lessons of Sunday while
they were still fresh in the childish memory of her little charge.

'What a contrast!' inwardly groaned the tutor as he took in the
peaceful scene, and compared it with the one he had so recently
quitted, in despair, where Geoff and Alick had that morning well-nigh
goaded him to frenzy by their rebellious conduct. Alick had been in
one of his worst moods, and Geoff had caught the infection. Books had
been flung up to the ceiling; the ink-bottles deliberately emptied; and
the rebels daringly shouted 'Rule Britannia!' from the top of the table
on which they had leaped, brandishing the fire-irons. The tutor knew
that he could have severely chastised one of the boys, and conquered
him with ease, but he could hardly cope at once, single-handed, with
the two. He therefore felt it to be the most dignified thing to leave
the schoolroom in silence. All this he told, in a few brief words, to
Theo, unwilling as he was to burden her youthful shoulders, already
overweighted with many cares.

'I'm sorry, Mr. Price, so sorry!' Theo spoke humbly, and her sweet
face coloured from chin to brow with vexation. 'It's hard for you to
be subjected to such treatment. The boys are truly unmanageable. But,
indeed, they have good hearts; they will be so repentant for their
shocking behaviour by and by.'

'They must say so, if they are,' said Philip, firmly, his pale face
growing set. 'I must have an apology from them before I can resume the
lessons, whatever may be the cost.'

'Of course! oh, of course!' hurriedly assented Theo, her fingers
working nervously. There were breakers ahead, she foresaw. The idea
of Alick, or Geoff either, apologising! 'I shall go to them, and do my
best to bring them to reason,' she said presently.

'Thank you! I am sorry that the matter should vex _you_!' was the
grave reply; and lifting his hat, the tutor departed home.

'Vex me!' murmured Theo, leaning her head out of one of the open
windows of the tea-house, and staring absently down upon the waves
leaping over the black rocks below. 'Vex me! It's more than that.
Oh, it's too bad that all the burden should fall on me! Father _ought_
to look after the boys. It's too bad!' she repeated.

Then the sea and sky were blurred, and a vision took their place--a
vision of a sweet, fading face; h