obliged to me. If I were now to put him in mind of his promise,
to stand by me, and protect me--I declare I will--it will stop his
wicked joy--it will make him remember his duty."

Dale wondered to see Hugh start off, as fast as he could go, to overtake
the foremost boys, who were just entering the meadow, and spreading
themselves over it. Tooke could, alas! Like everybody else, go faster
than Hugh; and there was no catching him, though he did not seem to see
that anybody wanted him. Neither could he be made to hear, though Hugh
called him as loud as he could shout. Holt was so sorry to see Hugh hot
and agitated, that he made no objection to going after Tooke, though he
was pretty sure Tooke would be angry with him. Holt could run as fast
as anybody, and he soon caught the boy he was pursuing, and told him
that little Proctor wanted him very much indeed, that very moment.
Tooke sent him about his business, saying that he could not come; and
then immediately proposed brook-leaping for their sport, leading the way
himself over a place so wide that no lesser boy, however nimble, could
follow. Holt came running back, shaking his head, and showing that his
errand was in vain. Tooke was so full of play that he could think of
nothing else; which was a shame.

"Ah! And you little know," thought Hugh, "how deep a shame it is."

With a swelling heart he turned away, and went towards the bank of the
broader stream which ran through the meadows. Dale was with him in a
moment,--very sorry for him, because everybody else was at
brook-leaping,--the sport that Hugh had loved so well last autumn. Dale
passed his arm round Hugh's neck, and asked where they should sit and
tell stories,--where they could best hide themselves, so that nobody
should come and tease them. Hugh wished to thank his friend for this;
but he could not speak directly. They found a pleasant place among the
flowering reeds on the bank, where they thought nobody would see them;
and having given Holt to understand that they did not want him, they
settled themselves for their favourite amusement of story-telling.

But Hugh's heart was too full and too sick for even his favourite
amusement; and Dale was perhaps too sorry for him to be the most
judicious companion he could have at such a time. Dale agreed that the
boys were hard and careless; and he added that it was particularly
shameful to bring up a boy's other faults when he was in disgrace for
one. I