s, and pushed them across the table to Holt, with a
smile:--

"No debtor's hands are clean, however white they be:
Who digs and pays his way--the true gentleman is he."

Holt coloured as he read, and immediately said that he chose the
papering job. Mr. Tooke rose, tossed the slip of paper into the fire,
buttoned up his coat, and said that he should let widow Murray know that
a workman would wait upon her the next morning, and that she must have
her paste and brushes and scissors ready.

"And a pair of steps," said Hugh, with a sigh.

"Steps, of course," replied Mr. Tooke. "You will think it a pretty
paper, I am sure."

"But, sir, she must quite understand that she is not at all obliged to
us,--that is, to me," said Holt.

"Certainly. You will tell her so yourself, of course."

Here again Holt's pride was hurt; but the thought of being out of
Meredith's power sustained him.

When Mr. Tooke was gone, Hugh said to his companion,

"I do not want you to tell me what Mr. Tooke wrote on that paper that
he burned. I only want to know whether he asked you to choose so as to
indulge me."

"You! O no! there was not a word about you."

"O! very well!" replied Hugh, not sure whether he was pleased or not.

The next morning was so fine that there was no difficulty about Hugh's
walking the short distance to the widow Murray's; and there, for three
mornings, did the boys work diligently, till the room was papered, and
two cupboards into the bargain. Holt liked it very well, except for two
things:--that Hugh was sure he could have done some difficult corners
better than Holt had done them, if he could but have stood upon the
steps; and that widow Murray did so persist in thanking him, that he had
to tell her several times over that she was not obliged to him at all,
because he was to be paid for the job.

Mr. Tooke came to see the work when it was done, and returned to Mr.
Shaw's with the boys, in order to pay Holt his half-crown immediately,
and yet so that the widow should not see. Hugh's eye followed Mr.
Tooke's hand as it went a second time into his pocket; and he was
conscious of some sort of hope that he might be paid something too. When
no more silver came forth, he felt aware that he ought not to have
dreamed of any reward for the help he had freely offered to his
companion: and he asked himself whether his school-fellows were
altogether wrong in thinking him too fond of money; and whether he was
altoget