have
just five minutes more, Miss Harold--"

"Never mind what Miss Harold says! That is, you girls must; but between
this and Michaelmas--"

He stopped short, and the girls saw that it was a sign from their mother
that made him do so. He immediately proceeded to make so much noise
with Harry, that Hugh discovered nothing more than that he might put
away his books, and not mind Miss Harold this time. If she asked him
to-morrow why he had not got down to "Constantinople," he could tell her
exactly what his father had said. So merry was Hugh's play this
evening. He stood so perfectly upright on his father's shoulders, that
he could reach the top of his grandmamma's picture, and show by his
finger-ends how thick the dust lay upon the frame: and neither he nor
his father minded being told that he was far too old for such play.

In the midst of the fun, Hugh had a misgiving, more than once, of his
mother having something severe to say to him when she should come up to
his room, to hear him say his prayer, and to look back a little with him
upon the events of the day. Besides his consciousness that he had done
nothing well this day, there were grave looks from his mother which made
him think that she was not pleased with him. When he was undressing,
therefore, he listened with some anxiety for her footsteps, and, when
she appeared, he was ready with his confession of idleness. She stopped
him in the beginning, saying that she had rather not hear any more such
confessions. She had listened to too many, and had allowed him to spend
in confessions some of the strength which should have been applied to
mending his faults. For the present, while she was preparing a way to
help him to conquer his inattention, she advised him to say nothing to
her, or to any one else, on the subject; but this need not prevent him
from praying to God to give him strength to overcome his great fault.

"Oh, mother! Mother!" cried Hugh, in an agony, "you give me up! What
shall I do if you will not help me any more?"

His mother smiled, and told him he need not fear any such thing. It
would be very cruel to leave off providing him with food and clothes,
because it gave trouble to do so; and it would be far more cruel to
abandon him to his faults, for such a reason. She would never cease to
help him till they were cured: but, as all means yet tried had failed,
she must plan some others; and meantime she did not wish him to become
harden