houlder roused him from this attitude; and looking up, with his eyes
full of tears, he found Hamilton and Trevannion standing beside him.

"What's the matter, Louis?" said the former.

"I have so much to do;--I--I've been very careless and idle,"
stammered Louis.

"I can readily believe that," said Hamilton.

"A candid confession, at any rate," remarked Trevannion.

"And do you imagine that your brains will be edified by coming in
contact with these books?" asked Hamilton. "What have you to do?"

"I have this exercise to re-write, and my Greek to
learn,--and--and--twenty lines of Homer to write out.
I can't do all now--I shall have to stay in this afternoon."

"I should think that more than probable," said Trevannion.

"What have we here?" said Hamilton, taking up the key. "Hey! what!
Louis! Is this the way you are going to cheat your masters?"

"Pray don't think it?" said Louis, eagerly.

"If you use keys, I have done with you."

"Indeed I did not,--I never do,--I wasn't going. One of the boys left it
here. I am sure I did not mean to do so," cried Louis in great confusion.

"Put it back," said Hamilton, gravely, "and then I will go over your
lessons with you, and see if I can make you understand them better."

"Thank you, thank you,--how kind you are!" said poor Louis, who hastily
put the dangerous book away, and then sat down.

Hamilton smiled, and remarked, "It is but fair that one should be
assisted who loses his character in playing knight errant for all
those who need, or fancy they need, his good services: but, Louis,
you are very wrong to give up so much of your time to others; your
time does not belong to yourself; your father did not send you here
to assist Dr. Wilkinson--or, rather, I should say, to save a set of
idle boys the trouble of doing their own work. There is a vast
difference between weakness and good-nature; but now to business."

Trevannion withdrew with a book to the window, and Hamilton sat down by
Louis, and took great pains to make him give his mind to his business;
and so thoroughly did he succeed with his docile pupil, that, although
he had come in rather late, all, with the exception of the imposition,
was ready for Mr. Danby by the time the dinner-bell rang.

Louis overwhelmed Hamilton with the expression of his gratitude, and
again and again laid his little hand on that of his self-instituted
tutor. Hamilton did not withdraw his hand, though he never returned
the pressu