ing, as if
expecting to read it there.

"Oh, I know--but he had been so busy over the preparations, and he hoped
you would come and look on; and the pony carriage will be here to fetch
you at twelve."

"I'm sure--really--I am greatly obliged to Mr Burge--"

"Mr William Forth Burge," said Miss Burge correctively.

"To Mr William Forth Burge for his kindness, and of course I shall be
most happy."

Hazel's eyes had filled with tears at the quiet unassuming kindness of
these people, and she looked her gratitude at their visitor.

"My brother's in such spirits, my dear, and he's next door; and he said
at breakfast that he was proud to say he came to Plumton Schools himself
when he was a boy, and nobody should say he was too proud to march round
the town with them to-day."

"And--and is he going to walk in the procession. Miss Burge?" asked
Mrs Thorne.

"That he is, ma'am," said the little lady. "So I said to him at
breakfast, `well, Bill,' I said--you see I always call him `Bill,' Mrs
Thorne, though he has grown to be such a rich and great man. It seems
more natural so--`well, Bill,' I said, `if with all your money and
position you're not too proud to walk with the boys, I won't be too
proud to walk with the girls.'"

"And--and are you going to walk with them, Miss Burge?" said Mrs
Thorne, with trembling eagerness.

"That I am, ma'am," cried Miss Burge, rustling her voluminous blue silk
dress, "and I've come down to ask Miss Thorne if she would allow me to
walk with her, and--Oh, my gracious! How it did make me jump!"

The cause of Miss Burge's start was the preliminary _boom boom, boom_ of
Mrs Thorne's horror, the big drum, for the band had been marched up
silently to the front of the schools, and the next moment the place was
echoing with the brazen strains.

CHAPTER TEN.

MR CANNINGE ASSISTS.

Mr William Forth Burge was gorgeous in the newest of frock-coats and
the whitest of waistcoats, as he stood outside the schools watching the
marshalling of the little forces, and then, glossy hat in one hand,
orange handkerchief in the other, he gave the signal to start; and, with
the excellent brass band playing its loudest, and the children for the
most part bearing flowers or flags, the long procession started, to
march up the High Street, round the market-place, past the church, and
in and out of Bush Lane and Padley's Road, the boys cheering, the girls
firing off a shrill "hurrah" now and then; and wh