me. There are some friends of
yours, that only looked at me, I can tell you, for the sake of your
name--eh, Master Herbs?"

Herbert did not rise to the bait; but Jenny said, "The Miss
Strangeways?"

"Yes. Wouldn't he be flattered to hear of the stunning excitement
when they heard of Captain Bowater, and how the old lady, their
mother, talked by the yard about him? You'll get a welcome indeed
when you come, old fellow. When shall it be?"

"No, thank you, Phil," said Herbert, gravely. "I shall come back
here as soon as I am well enough. But there is one thing I wish you
would do for me."

"Well, what? I'll speak about having any horse you please taken up
for you to ride; I came over on Brown Ben, but he would shake you
too much."

"No, no, it's about a young fellow. If you could take him back to
York to enlist--"

"My dear Herbert, I ain't a recruiting-sergeant."

"No, but it might be the saving of him," said Herbert, raising
himself and speaking with more animation. "It is Harry Hornblower."

"Why, that's the chap that bagged your athletic prizes! Whew!
Rather strong, ain't it, Joan!"

"He did no such thing," said Herbert, rather petulantly; "never
dreamt of it. He only was rather a fool in talking of them--
vaunting of me, I believe, as not such a bad fellow for a parson; so
his friends got out of him where to find them. But they knew better
than to take him with them. Tell him, Jenny; he won't believe me."

"It is quite true, Phil," said Jenny, "the poor fellow did get into
bad company at the races, but that was all. He did not come home
that night, but he was stupefied with drink and the beginning of the
fever, and it was proved--perfectly proved--that he was fast asleep
at a house at Backsworth when the robbery was committed, and he was
as much shocked about it as any one--more, I am sure, than Herbert,
who was so relieved on finding him clear of it, that he troubled
himself very little about the things. And now he has had the fever--
not very badly--and he is quite well now, but he can't get anything
to do. Truelove turned him off before the races for hanging about
at the Three Pigeons, and nobody will employ him. I do think it is
true what they say--his mother, and Julius, and Herbert, and all--
that he has had a lesson, and wants to turn over a new leaf, but the
people here won't let him. Julius and Herbert want him to enlist,
and I believe he would, but his mother--as they all do--