but his own; for, though he scarcely
ever appeared to give his lessons a moment's attention, he was generally
sufficiently prepared with them to enable him to keep his place in his
class, which was usually two from the bottom.

Louis saw that he must give his whole mind to his work; but being
unused to study in a noise, it was some time before he was well able
to comprehend what he wanted to do; and found himself continually
looking up and laughing at something around him, or replying to some
of Frank's jokes, which were often directed to him. When, by a great
exertion, he had at last forced himself to attend to Reginald's repeated
warnings, and had begun to learn in earnest, the door softly opened,
and the little boy he had noticed in the crowd that afternoon came in.

"Halloa! what do you want?" cried one of the seniors; "you have no
business here."

"Is Edward here, Mr. Salisbury?"

"No."

"Do you know where he is, please?"

"With the doctor," replied the young gentleman.

"Oh dear!" sighed the little boy, venturing to approach the table a
little nearer.

"What's the matter with you?" asked Reginald.

"I can't do this," said the child: "I wanted Edward to help me with
my exercise."

"My little dear, you have just heard that sapient Fred Salisbury declare,
in the most civil terms chooseable, that your fraternal preceptor,
Edwardus magnus, _non est inventus_," said Frank, pompously, with a
most condescending flourish of his person in the direction of the
little boy.

"And, consequently," said the afore-mentioned Mr. Salisbury, "you
have free leave to migrate to York, Bath, Jericho, or any other
equally convenient resort for bores in general, and you in particular."

"Please, Mr. Digby," said the little boy, "will you just show me this?"

"Indeed I can't," said Frank; "I can't do my own, so in all reason
you could not expect me to find brains for two exercises."

"Oh! please somebody show me--Dr. Wilkinson will be so angry if
Mr. Norton sends me up again to-morrow."

"Will you go?" shouted Salisbury, with such deliberate energy of
enunciation that Alfred shrunk back: "what's the use of your exercises,
if you're shown how to do them?"

"Come here, Alfred," said Louis, softly. Alfred readily obeyed;
and Louis, taking his book, began to show him what to do.

"Louis, you must not tell him word for word," said Reginald:
"Hamilton wouldn't like it--he never does himself."

"But I may help him to do it