an unlucky speech, which brought the colour to the boy's cheeks.

"By the way, young fellow," he said, "I had that old friend of yours up
before me, about a month ago, for the second time."

Dexter looked at him with a troubled look, and Sir James went on, as he
sipped his claret.

"You know--Bob Dimsted. Terrible young blackguard. Always poaching.
Good thing if they had a press-gang for the army, and such fellows as he
were forced to serve."

It was at breakfast the next morning that the doctor waited till Dexter
had left the table, and then turned to Helen--

"I shall not forgive Danby that unkind remark," he said. "I could
honestly do it now, and say, `There, sir, I told you I could make a
gentleman out of any material that I liked to select; and I've done it.'
But no: I'll wait till Dexter has passed all his examinations at
Sandhurst, and won his commission, and then--Yes, Maria--what is it!"

"Letter, sir, from the Union," said Maria.

"Humph! Dear me! What's this? Want me to turn guardian again, and I
shall not. Eh, bless my heart! Well, well, I suppose we must."

He passed the letter to Helen, and she read Mr Hippetts formal piece of
diction, to the effect that one of the old inmates, a Mrs Curdley, was
in a dying state, and she had several times asked to see the boy she had
nursed--Obed Coleby. During the doctor's absence from the town the
master had not felt that he could apply; but as Dr Grayson had
returned, if he would not mind his adopted son visiting the poor old
woman, who had been very kind to him as a child, it would be a
Christian-like deed.

"Yes; yes, of course, of course," said the doctor; and he called Dexter
in.

"Oh yes!" cried the lad, as he heard the request. "I remember all she
did for me so well, and--and--I have never been to see her since."

"My fault--my fault, my boy," said the doctor hastily. "There, we shall
go and see her now."

There were only two familiar faces for Dexter to encounter, first,
namely, those of Mr Hippetts and the schoolmaster, both of whom
expressed themselves as being proud to shake their old pupil's hand.

Then they ascended to the infirmary, where the old nurse lay very
comfortable and well cared for, and looking as if she might last for
months.

Her eyes lit up as she saw Dexter; and, when he approached, she held out
her hand, and made him sit down beside her.

"And growed such a fine chap!" she said, again and again.

She had litt