respect. It's no
easy thing in most places for a poor clergyman to keep on good terms
with his people."

"Yes; but Ken's father does seem to have been abominably treated." And
Walter proceeded to tell Power the parts of Mr Kenrick's history which
Kenrick had told him.

When he had finished the story he observed that Eden had shut up his
book and was listening intently.

"Hallo, Arty," said Walter, "I didn't mean you to hear."

"Didn't you? I'm so sorry. I really didn't know you meant to be
talking secrets, for you weren't talking particularly low."

"The noise of the waves prevents that. But never mind; I don't suppose
it's any secret. Ken never told me not to mention it. Only, of course,
you mustn't tell any one, you know, as it clearly isn't a thing to be
talked about."

"No," said Eden; "I won't mention it, of course. So other people have
unhappy homes as well as me," he added in a low tone.

"What, isn't your home happy, Arty?" asked Power.

Eden shook his head. "It used to be, but this holidays mamma married
again. She married Colonel Braemar--and I _can't bear_ him." The words
were said so energetically as to leave no doubt that he had some grounds
for the dislike; but Power said--

"Hush, Arty, you must try to like him. Are you sure you know your Rep.
perfectly?"

"Yes."

"Then let's take a turn till the bell rings."

While this conversation was going on by the shore, a very different
scene was being enacted in the Croft, as the field was called which I
above described.

It happened that Jones, and one of his set, named Mackworth, were
walking up and down the Croft in one direction, while Kenrick and
Whalley, one of his friends, were pacing up and down the same avenue in
the opposite direction, so that the four boys passed each other every
five minutes. The first time they met, Kenrick could not help noticing
that Jones and Mackworth nudged each other derisively as he passed, and
looked at him with a glance unmistakably impudent. This rather
surprised him, though he was on bad terms with them both. Kenrick had
not forgotten how grossly Jones had bullied him when he was a new boy,
and before he had risen out of the sphere in which Jones could dare to
bully him with impunity. He was now so high in the school as to be well
aware that Jones would be nearly as much afraid to touch him as he
always was to annoy any one of his own size and strength; and Kenrick
had never hesitated to sh