ull of the
pleasures of his visit, and of invitations to Tom to come and see
them in the vacation. If he did not mind homely quarters, he
would find a hearty welcome, and there was no finer bathing or
boating place on the coast. If he liked to bring his gun, there
were plenty of rock-pigeons and sea-otters in the caves at the
Point. Tom protested with the greatest sincerity that there was
nothing he should enjoy so much. Then the young men got down to
walk up Bagley Hill, and when they mounted again, found the
Captain with a large leather case in his hand, out of which he
took two five-pound notes, and began pressing them on his son,
while Tom tried to look as if he did not know what was going on.
For some time Hardy steadily refused, and the contention became
animated, and it was useless to pretend any longer not to hear.

"Why, Jack, you're not too proud, I hope, to take a present from
you own father," the Captain said at last.

"But, my dear father, I don't want the money. You make me a very
good allowance already."

"Now, Jack, just listen to me and be reasonable. You know a great
many of your friends have been very hospitable to me; I could not
return their hospitality myself, but I wish you to do so for me."

"Well, father, I can do that without this money."

"Now, Jack," said the Captain, pushing forward the notes again,
"I insist on your taking them. You will pain me very much if you
don't take them."

So the son took the notes at last, looking as most men of his age
would if they had just lost them, while the father's face was
radiant as he replaced his pocket book in the breast pocket
inside his coat. His eye caught Tom's in the midst of the
operation, and the latter could not help looking a little
confused, as if he had been unintentionally obtruding on their
privacy. But the Captain at once laid his hand on his knee and
said,--

"A young fellow is never the worse for having a ten-pound note to
veer and haul on, eh, Mr. Brown?"

"No, indeed, sir. A great deal better I think," said Tom, and was
quite comfortable again. The Captain had no new coat that summer,
but he always looked like a gentleman.

Soon the coach stopped to take up a parcel at a crossroad, and
the young men got down. They stood watching it until it
disappeared round a corner of the road, and then turned back
towards Oxford, and struck into Bagley Wood, Hardy listening with
evident pleasure to his friend's enthusiastic, praise of