mile of sympathy, respect for the hush of sleep, yet keen
superiority of life and emotion over all the unconscious household. His
own brain and heart seemed tingling with the activity and tumult of life
in them. It seemed to him impossible to sleep, to still the commotion in
his mind, and bring himself into harmony with that hushed atmosphere and
childish calm.

CHAPTER XXXII.

YOUTHFUL UNREST.

Easter was very early that year, about as early as Easter can be, and
there was in Jock's mind a disturbing consciousness of the holidays, and
the manner in which he was likely to spend them, which no doubt
interfered to a certain extent with his work. He ought to have been
first in the competition for a certain school prize, and he was not. It
was carried off to the disappointment of Jock's house, and, indeed, of
the greater part of the school, by a King's scholar, which was the fate
of most of the prizes. Mr. Derwentwater was deeply cast down by this
disappointment. He expressed himself on the subject indeed with all the
fine feeling for which he was distinguished. "The loss of a
distinction," he said, "is not in itself a matter to disturb us; but I
own I should be sorry to think that you were failing at all in that
intellectual energy which has already placed you so often at the head of
the lists--that, my dear fellow, I should unfeignedly regret; but not a
mere prize, which is nothing." This was a very handsome way of speaking
of it; but that MTutor was disappointed there could be no doubt. To Jock
himself it gave a keen momentary pang to see his own name only third in
that beadroll of honour; but so it was. The holidays had all that to
answer for; the holidays, or rather what they were to bring. When he
thought of the Hall and the company there, Jock felt a certain high tide
in his veins, an awakening of interest and anticipation which he did not
understand. He did not say to himself that he was going to be happy. He
only looked forward with an eager heart, with a sense of something to
come, which was different from the routine of ordinary life. MTutor
after many hindrances and hesitations was at last going to accept the
invitation of Sir Tom, and accompany his pupil. This Jock had looked
forward to as the greatest of pleasures. But somehow he did not feel so
happy about it now. He did not seem to himself to want Mr. Derwentwater.
In some ways, indeed, he had become impatient of Mr. Derwentwater. Since
that visit