great boy like you, that sits reading in a tree! But I may read
here beside you. You said there was room for two."

"Ay; but you must not use it yet,--at least, not often, if you wish to
do well here. Everybody knows I can play at anything. From the time I
became captain of the wall at fives, I have had liberty to do what I
like, without question. But you must show that you are up to play,
before they will let you read in peace and quiet."

"But how can I, if----if----"

"Once show your spirit,--prove that you can shift for yourself, and you
will find Phil open out wonderfully. He and you will forget all his
shyness then. Once show him that he need not be ashamed of you----"

"Ashamed of me!" cried Hugh, firing up.

"Yes. Little boys are looked upon as girls in a school till they show
that they are little men. And then again, you have been brought up with
girls,--have not you?"

"To be sure; and so was he."

"And half the boys here, I dare say. Well, they are called Bettys
till----"

"I am not a Betty," cried Hugh, flashing again.

"They suppose you are, because you part your hair, and do as you have
been used to do at home."

"What business have they with my hair? I might as well call them Bruins
for wearing theirs shaggy."

"Very true. They will let you and your hair alone when they see what you
are made of; and then Phil will----"

"He will own me when I don't want it; and now, when he might help me,
there he is, far off, never caring about what becomes of me!"

"O yes, he does. He is watching you all the time. You and he will have
it all out some day before Christmas, and then you will see how he
really cares about you. Really your hair is very long,--too like a
girl's. Shall I cut it for you?"

"I should like it," said Hugh, "but I don't want the boys to think I am
afraid of them; or to begin giving up to them."

"You are right there. We will let it alone now, and cut it when it suits
our convenience."

"What a nice place this is, to be sure!" cried Hugh, as the feeling of
loneliness went off. "But the rooks do not make so much noise as I
expected."

"You will find what they can do in that way when spring comes,--when
they are building."

"And when may we go out upon the heath, and into the fields where the
lambs are?"

"We go long walks on Saturday afternoons; but you do not expect to see
young lambs in October, do you?"

"O, I forgot. I never can remember the seasons for things."

"T