? Did he say anything?"

"Say anything!" cried Dale; "why, did you not hear he was asleep?"

"What did he look like, then?"

"He looked as he always does when he is asleep, as far as I could see.
But we did not bring the light too near, for fear of waking him."

"Did you hear--did anybody tell you anything about it?"

"Yes: my mother told me whatever I wanted to know."

"What? What did she tell you?"

"She says it will not be so very bad a lameness as it might have
been--as if he had not had his knee left. That makes a great difference.
They make a false foot now, very light; and if his leg gets quite
properly well, and we are not too much in a hurry, and we all take pains
to help Hugh to practise walking carefully at first, he may not be very
lame."

"Oh! then, it is not so bad," said one, while Tooke, who was listening,
gave a deep sigh of relief.

"Not so bad!" exclaimed Phil. "Why, he will never be so strong--so able
and active as other men. He will never be able to take care of himself
and other people. He will be so unlike other people always; and now,
while he is a boy, he will never----"

The images of poor Hugh's privations and troubles as a school-boy were
too much for Phil; and he laid down his head on his desk, to hide his
grief. As for Tooke, he walked away, looking the picture of
wretchedness.

"When will you see him again?" asked Dale, passing his arm round Phil's
neck.

"To-day, if he is pretty well. My mother promised me that."

"Do you think you could get leave for me too? I would not make any
noise, nor let him talk too much, if I might just see him."

"I'll see about it," said Phil.

As Mrs. Proctor was placing the pillows comfortably, for Hugh to have
his breakfast, after he was washed, and the bed made nicely smooth, he
yawned, and said he was sleepy still, and that he wondered what o'clock
it was. His mother told him it was a quarter past ten.

"A quarter past ten! Why, how odd! The boys are half through school,
almost, and I am only just awake!"

"They slept through the whole night, I dare say. You were awake a good
many times; and you and I had some talk. Do you remember that? or has it
gone out of your head with your sound sleep?"

"No, no: I remember that," said Hugh. "But it was the oddest, longest
night!--and yesterday too! To think that it is not a whole day yet since
it all happened! Oh! here comes my breakfast. What is it? Coffee!"

"Yes: we know you are fond of co