the tremor which came over him at any
sudden sight or sound. So every voice was softened when they spoke to
him, and the manner of even the roughest boys became to him affectionate
and even caressing. If any had felt inclined to side with Harpour
against the monitors before, the sight of Eden went far to alter their
convictions.

Yet the poor child was never happy except when he was in Walter's
society, and in Power's study. Even there he was changed. The bright
merry laugh which once rang out incessantly was rarely or never heard
now; and a somewhat sad smile was all that could be elicited from him.
He seemed, too, to have lost for a time all his old interest in work.
The form competition had no further attraction for him; the work seemed
irksome, and he had no spirits to join in any game. Once Power kindly
rallied him on his general listlessness, but Eden only looked up at him
appealingly, and said, while the weak tears overflowed his eyes, "Don't
be angry with me, Power, I can't help it; I don't feel quite, right yet.
O, Power, I'm afraid you'll never like me again as you did."

"Why, Arty, your illness is all the more reason why I should."

"But, Power, I shall never be the same as I once was. It seems as if
some light had gone out and left me in the dark."

"Nonsense, Arty; the summer holidays will bring you round again."

But Eden only shook his head, and muttered something about Colonel
Braemar not being kind to him and his little sister.

"Do you think they would let you come and stay part of the holidays with
us?"

Eden brightened up in a moment, and promised to write and ask.

CHAPTER TWENTY NINE.

WALTER'S HOLIDAYS.

Such delights
As float to earth, permitted visitants,
When in some hour of solemn jubilee
The massy gates of Paradise are thrown
Wide open.

Coleridge _Religious Musings_.

In scenes like these, part sunshine and part storm, the half-year rolled
round, and brought the long-desired summer holidays. Once more the end
of the half-year saw Power as usual brilliantly successful, and Walter
again at the head of his form. Henderson, too, although he could not
proceed with Walter _pari passu_, was among the first six, and had
gained more than one school distinction. But Kenrick this time had
failed as he had never done before; he was but fourth in his form, and
although this was the natural fruit of his recent idleness, it caused
him cruel mortification.

The