nest. "I say, you fellows, Ellis
has a great fancy to join us in learning golf. He is like me; he
dislikes the same routine of games year after year, however good they
may be. We'll get Macgreggor to give us a lesson this evening. He
seems to be a very good-natured fellow, though he is so big and old."

Macgreggor was a private pupil of the Doctor's, who had lately come to
prepare for Cambridge. He was a good specimen of a Highlander, who had
never before been south of the Tweed. He spoke strong Scotch, but not
broad Scotch; that is, Lowland Scotch, with the full forcible
expressions which are to be found in such abundance in the language. He
was a truly honourable, high-spirited fellow, and most kind-hearted and
generous. Had Blackall's misdeeds come to his notice he would have
doubled him up, as our Yankee cousins would say, in no time. The rest
of the party willingly agreed to the proposal. As soon as they reached
the house, Ellis had to go and present himself to the Doctor, who was
struck by his grave and pale countenance.

"My dear boy, what is the matter with you?" asked the Doctor kindly.

"Nothing, sir; nothing," was the answer. "It is not because I am sorry
to come back to school, because I am very happy to find myself here."

The Doctor looked pleased, and he knew that Ellis was not a boy to make
a set speech for the purpose of paying a compliment. He was glad to
find also that he had not spent his holidays in idleness, but had
studied quite as hard as was wise, and had read a number of useful
works.

"You have done very well indeed," said the Doctor. "If every boy would
follow your plan, and read attentively a good history during the
holidays, they would become very fair historians at a small expense of
labour, and they would save their time which is now, in most instances,
so miserably squandered. Most boys during their school-life have from
fourteen to sixteen holidays, each about six weeks in length--in fact
they are idle for two whole years of the most valuable period of their
existence for acquiring knowledge. During that time they might acquire
a thorough knowledge of the history of the whole world."

Ellis thanked the Doctor for his advice, and said that he would follow
it, and try to persuade some of his schoolfellows to do so likewise.

Dinner was over, so some was sent in for Ellis, and then he and his
friends set off, with Macgreggor and several other boys, to the
neighbouring