gnes to take the plate out of sight: and she put
some biscuits into a paper bag, that he might eat on the road, if he
should become hungry.

Neither Miss Harold nor Hugh could possibly feel any grief at parting;
for they had had little satisfaction together; but she said very kindly
that she should hope to hear often of him, and wished he might be happy
as a Crofton boy. Hugh could hardly answer her;--so amazed was he to
find that his sisters were giving up an hour of their lessons on his
account,--that they might go with him to the coach!--And then Susan came
in, about the cord for his box, and her eyes were red:--and, at the
sight of her, Agnes began to cry again; and Jane bent down her head over
the glove she was mending for him, and her needle stopped.

"Jane," said her mother, gravely, "if you are not mending that glove,
give it to me. It is getting late."

Jane brushed her hand across her eyes, and stitched away again. Then
she threw the gloves to Hugh without looking at him, and ran to get
ready to go to the coach.

The bustle of the inn-yard would not do for little Harry. He could not
go. Hugh was extremely surprised to find that all the rest were
going;--that even his father was smoothing his hat in the passage for
the walk,--really leaving the shop at noon on his account! The porter
was at his service too,--waiting for his box! It was very odd to feel
of such consequence.

Hugh ran down to bid the maids good-bye. The cook had cut a sandwich,
which she thrust into his pocket, though he told her he had some
biscuits. Susan cried so that little Harry stood grave and wondering.
Susan sobbed out that she knew he did not care a bit about leaving home
and everybody. Hugh wished she would not say so, though he felt it was
true, and wondered at it himself. Mr Proctor heard Susan's
lamentations, and called to her from the passage above not to make
herself unhappy about that; for the time would soon come when Hugh would
be homesick enough.

Mr Blake, the shopman, came to the shop-door as they passed, and bowed
and smiled; and the boy put himself in the way, with a broad grin: and
then the party walked on quickly.

The sun seemed to Hugh to glare very much; and he thought he had never
known the streets so noisy, or the people so pushing. The truth was,
his heart was beating so he could scarcely see: and yet he was so busy
looking about him for a sight of the river, and everything he wished to
bid good