g sergeant, just as I was hesitating,
and I looked at him, and heard what he had to say, how the service would
make a man of me."

"And you took the shilling, Pete?"

"Yes, sir; and the best day's work I ever did," said Pete, speaking
sharply, decisively, and with a manly carriage about him that made Tom
stare. "I was was bombardier in two years, and a month ago I got my
sergeant's stripes."

He gave a proud glance at the chevrons on his arm as he spoke.

"I'm very glad, Pete."

"Thankye, sir. I knew you would be. You did it, sir."

"I?"

"Yes, sir. Mr Maxted used to talk to me, but it was seeing what you
were set me thinking so much; but there was no way, and I got into
trouble. I'm off to Malta, sir, in a month. On furlough now, and down
here to see the old woman."

"Ah! She's very feeble now, Pete."

"Very, sir. She's awfully old; but she knew me directly, and began to
blow me up."

"What for?"

"Throwing myself away, sir," cried Pete, with a merry laugh. "Poor old
soul, though, she knows no better. Good-bye, sir. I shall see you
again. I read your name in the paper the other day about finding a
comet, and it made me laugh to think of the old days. Good-day, sir.
I'm going to see Mr Maxted. I find he has been very good to the poor
old granny since I've been away."

"And some people say that the army's a bad school," said Mr Maxted that
night at dinner, when Uncle Richard and Tom were spending the evening at
the Vicarage. "If they would only do for all rough young men what they
have done for Pete Warboys, it would be a grand thing. But I always did
have hopes of him, eh, Tom?"

"Ah," said Uncle Richard, "it's a long lane that has no turning."

"I say, Master Tom," cried David, who never could see that his young
master had grown a man, "did you see Pete Warboys? There: if anybody
had took a hoath and swore it, I wouldn't ha' believed there could ha'
been such a change. Here, look at him. Six foot high, and as straight
as a harrer. 'Member giving him the stick over the wall?"

"Ah, Mr David!" cried Pete, marching up. "How are the apples?--Beg
pardon, Mr Blount, I forgot to say something to you last night."

"Yes; what is it?" said Tom, walking aside with the sergeant.

"There's curious things happen sometimes, sir; more curious than people
think for."

"Yes, often in science, Pete," said Tom.

"Dessay, sir; but I mean in every-day life. Your cousin, sir."

"Yes. What abo