re?' 'Seymour, pass your plate to me,' whenever the silence
of one knife and fork told that its owner had finished the portion
allotted to him. Johnnie glanced at him sometimes, but did not address
him till after grace had been said and they had risen from table, when,
approaching him, he asked gently if he might be allowed to sit a little
while with his mother that afternoon.

'Can I trust you to be quiet, Johnnie?' said the Doctor doubtfully.

Lackland blushed, and fidgeted with his feet. 'I will try to be quiet
indeed, papa. I am sorry I made such a row in the arbour this morning.'

'Very well, you may go to mamma, then, as soon as I come down; but I
shall beg her to send you away if you get riotous.'

'Yes, papa; and, one thing more, may I do that bit of Caesar that you
offered the half-crown for? I didn't care about doing it the other day,
but I should like to, now.'

'You may do it, certainly. I am glad you wish to--without help,
mind--and I will look over it as soon as I have time. Well, Honorius,'
as his elder son drew near, 'have you something to ask too?'

Honorius's errand was to obtain his father's sanction for the changes
they were making in the desert. Dr. Campbell smiled as he heard their
plans. 'It would take two men's hard labour to put that place in order,'
he said; 'I don't think you'll be able to do it.'

'Papa, you don't know what seven Campbells can do!' said Willie in a
tone of triumphant heroism.

'Seven! What! have you pressed Georgie into the service? Well, good luck
to you all, it'll be a nice amusement for you; you can't do much harm,
at any rate.'

He left them and hastened up to his wife's room, but Willie ran after
him to beg that the plan might be kept a secret from her. Dr. Campbell
readily promised secrecy, but the boys were disappointed that he had not
seemed more delighted with their scheme.

'If papa thinks it's nonsense, there's no use going on with it,' said
Honorius moodily.

'Yes, there is,' said Willie; 'it'll show him what we can do. He thinks
it nonsense, because he doesn't know how hard we mean to work, and how
steadily we'll keep on at it. It'll be such fun when he sees we can do a
great deal more than he thinks!'

Honorius allowed himself to be convinced by this reasoning, and went
with Willie and Seymour to the desert to work away till it got near
three o'clock, at which time he had to return to school. Johnnie worked
steadily at Caesar till he heard his fath