of the playground, to see as much as they could. Hugh waved his hand;
and every boy saw it; and in a moment every hat and cap was off, and
the boys gave three cheers,--the loudest that had ever been heard at
Crofton. The most surprising thing was that Mr. Tooke cheered, and Mr.
Shaw too. The men looked as if they would have liked to set down the
litter, and cheer too: but they did not quite do that. They only smiled
as if they were pleased.

There was one person besides who did not cheer. Tooke stood apart from
the other boys, looking very sad. As the litter went down the by-road,
he began to walk away; but Hugh begged the men to stop, and called to
Tooke. Tooke turned: and when Hugh beckoned, he forgot all about bounds,
leaped the paling, and came running. Hugh said,

"I have been wanting to see you so! but I did not like to ask for you
particularly."

"I wish I had known that."

"Come and see me,--do," said Hugh. "Come the very first, wont you?"

"If I may."

"Oh, you may, I know."

"Well, I will, thank you. Good-bye."

And on went the litter, with Mrs. Proctor and Mr. Shaw walking beside
it. The motion did not hurt Hugh at all; and he was so warmly wrapped
up, and the day so fine, that he was almost sorry when the two miles
were over. And yet there was Agnes out upon the steps; and she sat
beside him on the sofa in his cheerful room, and told him that she had
nothing to do but to wait on him, and play with him. She did not tell
him yet that she must learn directly to nurse him, and, with her aunt's
help, fill her mother's place, because her mother was much wanted at
home: but this was in truth one chief reason for her coming.

Though there was now really nothing the matter with Hugh--though he ate,
drank, slept, and gained strength--his mother would not leave him till
she saw him well able to go about.

The carpenter soon came, with some crutches he had borrowed for Hugh to
try; and when they were sure of the right length, Hugh had a new pair.
He found it rather nervous work at first, using them; and he afterwards
laughed at the caution with which he began. First, he had somebody to
lift him from his seat, and hold him till he was firm on his crutches.
Then he carefully moved forwards one crutch at a time, and then the
other; and he put so much strength into it, that he was quite tired when
he had been once across the room and back again. Every stumble made him
shake all over. He made Agnes try; and he w