Leave that to those who have no comfort."

Hugh nodded again. Then he got down, and ran to tell Holt that he did
not want a shilling from him, because he thought sixpence would be
fairer.

Holt was glad to hear this at first; but he presently said that it did
not much matter, for that he had no more chance of being able to pay
sixpence than a shilling. His parents were in India, and his uncle never
offered him any money. He knew indeed that his uncle had none to spare;
for he had said in the boy's hearing, that it was hard on him to have to
pay the school-bills (unless he might pay them in the produce of his
farm), so long as it must be before he could be repaid from India. So
Holt did not dare to ask for pocket-money; and for the hundredth time he
sighed over his debt. He had almost left off hoping that Hugh would
excuse him altogether, though everybody knew that Hugh had five
shillings in Mrs. Watson's hands. This fact, and Hugh's frequent
applications to Lamb for payment, had caused an impression that Hugh was
fond of money. It was not so; and yet the charge was not unfair. Hugh
was ready to give if properly asked; but he did not relish, and could
not bear with temper, the injustice of such a forced borrowing as had
stripped him of his half-crown. He wanted his five shillings for
presents for his family; and for these reasons, and not because he was
miserly, he did not offer to excuse Holt's debt; which it would have
been more generous to have done. Nobody could wish that he should excuse
Lamb's.

"When are you going to your uncle's?" asked Holt. "I suppose you _are_
going some day before Christmas."

"On Saturday, to stay till Sunday night," said Hugh.

"And Proctor goes too, I suppose?"

"Yes; of course, Phil goes too."

"Anybody else?"

"We are each to take one friend, just for Saturday, to come home at
night."

"Oh? then, you will take me. You said you would."

"Did I? That must have been a long time ago."

"But you did say so,--that, whenever you went, you would ask leave to
take me."

"I don't remember any such thing. And I am going to take Dale this time.
I have promised him."

Holt cried with vexation. Dale was always in his way. Hugh cared for
nobody but Dale; but Dale should not go to Mr. Shaw's till he had had
his turn. He had been promised first, and he would go first. He would
speak to Mrs. Watson, and get leave to go and tell Mr. Shaw, and then he
was sure Mr. Shaw would let him go.