y rabbits, have you?" asked Edgar.

"No," said Harry. "Don't I wish I had!"

"Mine are prize rabbits, you know," said Edgar, "The old tortoise-shell
one took the prize both this year and last year at the County show. Oh!
And what do you think? A boy I know has been over here ever so many
times trying to get that young lop-eared tortoise-shell doe! You
remember which one, don't you?"

"Oh yes! oh yes! That was the one I liked best of all! It had such good
broad ears!" cried Harry with enthusiasm. "You didn't let him have it
though, did you, Master Edgar?"

"Oh no? He offered me a pair of his best Antwerp pigeons for her. And I
wanted the pigeons; but I wouldn't let him have that young doe!"
exclaimed Edgar, with a smile on his white face.

"You wouldn't? Oh, I'm so glad!" exclaimed Harry.

"I thought you would be," returned Edgar with another bright smile. "I
told him I wanted her for somebody else. Push on, Harry. Let's get round
to the stable."

Harry pushed with all his might, while his face flushed up to the roots
of his hair; for he could not help thinking--

"I wonder if Master Edgar is going to give that doe to me! But no,
that's all nonsense! I won't think of such a thing; of course he is
saving it for one of his friends! Shouldn't I like her, though!"

It seemed to Harry quite a long way to the stable, so anxious was he to
get there. At last he wheeled the chair into the yard.

"Fetch out the young ones, and let me have a good look at them," said
Edgar. "Bring them out one by one; but bring the young doe last."

"All right!" said Harry. And leaving the chair, away he rushed, opened
the door of the stable, where, to his delight, he saw the great prize
buck in a hutch, and the doe and four young ones all hopping about among
a quantity of fragrant hay.

Harry shouted with joy--

"Oh, Master Edgar! Oh, how they've grown! You won't know them! They're
lovely!"

He caught up his favourite first of all, and examined her thoroughly
with breathless delight.

She had grown into the most beautifully-marked rabbit that he could
imagine.

Even to handle such a rabbit seemed to Harry a very great happiness.
What could it be like really to be the owner of that young prize
rabbit?

With something like a sigh Harry put her down, and caught one of the
others.

"I've seen the young doe, and I've measured her ears!" he exclaimed, as
he took the other rabbit to Edgar Stopford.

"Well! He _has_ grown!" cried