him as a possible rival; that Rob, the country lad, might spoil
the covenant of friendship between them.

VIII

THE BERTRAMS' LEAP

It was Roy's birthday, and he was standing at his bedroom window before
breakfast looking out into the old garden below, his busy brain full of
thought and conjecture. His birthday was a very important day to him,
and for some years now there had been a settled programme for the day.
His guardian, an old Indian officer living in the neighborhood, and
formerly a very old friend of his father's, always came over to see him
and stayed to lunch, the two boys joining their elders at that meal.
Directly after, they would drive or ride over to Norrington Court which
was Roy's future home, and stay there for the rest of the day.

The boy's heart was full of the future as usual, and when Dudley burst
into his room with a radiant face to offer his good wishes, he turned to
meet him gravely.

But Dudley was too occupied in tugging in a small basket to notice it.

"This is my present, old chap. Just open it and see if you don't like
it."

Roy's little face became illumined with smiles a moment after, when he
saw two beautiful little white mice amongst the straw looking up at him
with calm curiosity out of their bright beady eyes.

"They're tame," said Dudley, delightedly; "old Principle has had them,
taming them for over a month. Their names are Nibble and Dibble. Look!
This is Dibble with the little black spot on his nose. You never
guessed, did you? I've been down to see them lots of times and they'll
eat food out of my hand. You just see!"

Roy was too excited over his mice to eat much breakfast, and when Rob
came up to him immediately afterward with a new cricket ball, bought out
of his small wages, he declared he was the "luckiest fellow in the
world."

Miss Bertram presented him with a handsome writing case, and every one
of the servants had some trifle to offer him. At ten o'clock he went to
his grandmother's room.

This was also part of the programme.

Mrs. Bertram received him very impressively, as was her wont.

"Sit down, Fitz Roy; you are getting a big boy; have you been measured
this morning?"

"Yes, granny, and I really have grown an inch and a half since last
year. That isn't very bad, is it?"

"Your father was very much taller at your age. I cannot understand it."

Roy began to feel rather depressed. "General Newton will be here soon,
I suppose," continued M