h sarcasm.

"It seems as though I might be doing something more profitable, to
prepare me for entering life."

"Yes! You might be at another academy, occupying your time in making
love to another silly, romantic girl!"

"Nobody will say," rejoined Chester, biting his lips, and speaking with
forced calmness,--"my worst enemy cannot say,--that I have not improved
my opportunities of study. I hope you will believe me, when I say I have
always stood at the head of my classes."

Mr. Royden was considerably softened.

"Well, well!" said he, "I can make some allowance for your young blood.
I will see what ought to be done. We will talk the matter over at
another time."

"But while you do stay at home," added Mrs. Royden, who had remained
silent for a length of time quite unusual with her, "you must take hold
and help your father all you can. He has to hire a great deal, and
sending you to school makes us feel the expense more than we should.
James is not worth much, and Samuel, you know, is worse than nothing."

"Speaking of Sam, I wish he would show his face. It's getting very
late," observed Mr. Royden, looking at the clock.

"The _old gentleman_ is always at the door when his name is spoken,"
said Mrs. Royden. "There he comes."

Sam was creeping into the kitchen as silently as possible.

"Young man!" cried Mr. Royden, opening the sitting-room door, "come in
here."

"Yes, sir," said Sam, in a very feeble and weak tone of voice.

But he lingered a long time in the kitchen, and during the conversation,
which was resumed, he was nearly forgotten. At length Mr. Royden thought
he heard a strange noise, which sounded very much like a person crying.

"Do you hear, Samuel?" he cried. "Come in here, I say! What is the
matter?"

"I'm--coming!" replied the boy, in a broken voice.

He made his appearance at the door in a piteous plight. He was covered
with dirt, and with all his efforts he could not keep from crying.

"You have been flung from the horse!" suddenly exclaimed Chester. "Is
that the trouble?"

"I haven't been flung from the horse, neither!" said Sam, doggedly.

"Did you leave him at the tavern?"

"Yes,--I _left him at the tavern_."

"What did the landlord say?"

"He didn't say nothing."

"Sam, you're lying!" cried Chester.

"True as I live--" began Sam.

"I know what the trouble is," said Mrs. Royden, who was very much
provoked at seeing the boy's soiled clothes. "He has been fighting. And,
i