ell Dr. Ross that I
will come across to him soon after ten.'

'Poor beggar! he is awake now, and pulling himself together with a
vengeance. This looks well; now for the grind.'

And Michael went down to the schoolroom and gave Cyril's class their
divinity lesson with as much coolness and gravity as though his whole
life had been spent in teaching boys.

Dr. Ross winced slightly as he gave him Cyril's message after breakfast,
but he said, a moment afterwards: 'I intended sending for him; but I am
glad he has saved me the trouble--only I wish it were over, Mike.'

Michael shrugged his shoulders with a look of sympathy. He had no time
to say more; he must take Cyril's place in the schoolroom again, in
spite of all Booty's shivering solicitations for a walk this fine
morning. 'Booty, old fellow,' he observed, as he noticed the little
animal's manifest disappointment, 'you and I are not sent into the world
to please ourselves; there are "still lame dogs to help over stiles,"
and a few burdens to shift on our own shoulders. If our head ache, what
of that, Booty? It will be the same a hundred years hence. Now for Greek
verbs and general discord, so right about face!' And if Booty did not
understand this harangue, he certainly acted up to the spirit of it, for
he pattered cheerfully after his master to the schoolroom, and curled
himself up into a compact brown ball at his feet, to doze away the
morning in doggish dreams.

Meanwhile, Dr. Ross made a feint of reading his letters; but he found as
he laid them down that their contents were hopelessly involved. Was it
Rawlinson, for example, whom an anxious mother was confiding to his
care? 'He had the measles last holidays, and has been very delicate ever
since, and now this severe cold----' Nonsense! It was not Rawlinson, it
was Jackson minor, and he was all right and had eaten an excellent
breakfast; but he thought Major Sowerby's letter ought to be answered at
once. He never allowed parents to break his rules; it was such nonsense
sending for Charlie home, just because an uncle had come from India. He
must write and remonstrate; the boy must wait until the term was
over--it would only be a fortnight. And then he read the letter again
with growing displeasure, and found that Captain MacDonald was the name
of the erring parent.

'I will settle all that,' he remarked, as he plunged his pen rather
savagely into the inkstand; and then a tap at the door made him start,
and a hu