d--even in a board school--to earn the right to go back at the end
of six months. He was glad enough to have Horace seated beside him,
and the first words he said were,

'I hope you will forgive me for being such a fool. We must be friends,
you know, and I hope to come back to Torrington's with you by-and by.'

'Yes, yes, we will be good friends if you like,' said Horace, with the
tears shining in his eyes. 'Only I don't know what my mother will say
when she comes home.'

'Oh, that will be all right,' answered Leonard. 'Your mother has gone
to London with my mother. I dare say we shall know all about it
presently. But father is too busy now, for he is going to London again
this evening, and so I shall have to take care of you until he comes
back. We'll ask Warren to come and see us as well, because I know you
like Warren.'

This last proposal cost Leonard the most, for he wanted Horace to like
him now. But it was a proof to Mr. Morrison that his son had learned
to conquer himself; and he had more hope for him now than he had since
he first heard of this school scandal.

The doctor had taken care to say as little as possible to the two
boys about the fortune Mr. Howard had made while he was away, and it
had made so little impression upon Horace, that when Mr. Morrison came
back from London the next day, and told him that his mother wanted him
to go to the sea-side as soon as he was able to go, Horace looked at
him in mute wonder.

Could his mother afford to send him to the sea-side? he wondered, and
he resolved to ask Fred what he thought about it when he came.

His brother came to sit with him for an hour every evening, and as
soon as they were left to themselves that night Horace said, 'Have you
heard that mother wants us to go to the sea-side--Leonard, and you and
I? What does it mean, Fred? Has mother got money enough now to spend
it like that?'

'I suppose she has,' said Fred, with something like a sigh; 'but I am
not sure that it is going to make us any happier, Horry,' he added.

'Well, I suppose that will depend upon what we do with it, won't it?'
said Horace simply.

'Well, then I don't know that I shall let them spend any of it on me,'
said Fred, in an angry tone.

'Then you won't let mother be happy, though she may have more money,
and not have to work for it now.'

'Now, Horace, you know it is on mother's account that I feel as I do.
It was unkind and cruel of father to go away and leave her as