ith a sigh to go.

"Shall I see you in the morning, Geordie?" said he, as he shook his
friend's hand. "Never mind, though; you'll be back next half, and I
sha'n't forget the house of Rimmon."

Arthur's mother got up and walked with him to the door, and there gave
him her hand again, and again his eyes met that deep loving look,
which was like a spell upon him. Her voice trembled slightly as she
said, "Good-night,--you are one who knows what our Father has promised
to the friend of the widow and the fatherless. May He deal with you as
you have dealt with me and mine!"

Tom was quite upset; he mumbled something about owing everything good
in him to Geordie--looked in her face again, pressed her hand to his
lips, and rushed down stairs to his study, where he sat till old
Thomas came kicking at the door to tell him his allowance[26] would be
stopped if he didn't go off to bed. (It would have been stopped
anyhow, but that he was a great favorite with the old gentleman, who
loved to come out in the afternoon into the close to Tom's wicket, and
bowl slow twisters[27] to him, and talk of the glories of bygone
Surrey[28] heroes, with whom he had played in former generations.)

[26] #Allowance#: spending-money.

[27] #Twisters#: balls thrown with a twisting motion.

[28] #Surrey#: a county in the south of England.

So Tom roused himself, and took up his candle to go to bed; and then
for the first time was aware of a beautiful new fishing-rod, with old
Eton's[29] mark on it, and a splendidly bound Bible, which lay on his
table, on the title-page of which was written: "TOM BROWN, from his
affectionate and grateful friends, Frances Jane Arthur; George
Arthur."

[29] #Eton#: a noted maker of fishing-rods, etc.

I leave you all to guess how he slept, and what he dreamt of.

CHAPTER VII.

HARRY EAST'S DILEMMAS AND DELIVERANCES.

"The Holy Supper is kept indeed,
In whatso we share with another's need--
Not that which we give, but what we share,
For the gift without the giver is bare:
Who bestows himself with his alms feeds three,
Himself, his hungering neighbor, and Me."

_Lowell_, "_The Vision of Sir Launfal._"

TOM SPRINGS HIS MINE.

The next morning, after breakfast, Tom, East, and Gower met as usual
to learn their second lessons together. Tom had been considering how
to break his proposal of giving up the crib to the others, and h