--I didn't mind for long--but 'twas true. He
had patience with me.'

The cough came on, and Jane knew she must go; her grandmother had bidden
her not to stay if it were so, and she just ventured to squeeze Alfred's
hand, and then went down-stairs, checking her tears, to wish Matilda and
Ellen good-bye; and as she passed by Paul, told him not to uncover his
still very short-haired head, and kindly hoped he was better.

Paul, in his dreary feelings, hardly thought of Mr. Cope's plan, till, as
he was getting the letters ready for Harold, he turned up one in Mr.
Cope's writing, addressed to the 'Rev. A. Shaw, Berryton, Elbury.'

'That's to settle for me, then,' he said; and Harold who was at tea,
asking, 'What's that?' he explained.

'Well,' said Harold, 'every one to his taste! I wouldn't go to school
again, not for a hundred pounds; and as to _keeping_ school!' (Such a
face as he made really caused Paul to smile.) 'Nor you don't half like
it, neither,' continued Harold. 'Come, you'd better stay and get work
here! I'd sooner be at the plough-tail all day, than poke out my eyes
over stuff like that,' pointing to Paul's slate, covered with figures.
'Here, Nelly,' as she moved about, tidying the room, 'do you hear? Mr.
Cope's got an offer of a place for Paul--five pounds a year, and board
and lodging, to be school-master's whipper-in, or what d'ye call it?'

'What do you say, Harold?' cried Ellen, putting her hands on the back of
a chair, quite interested. 'You going away, Paul?'

'Mr. Cope says so--and I must get my living, you know,' said Paul.

'But not yet; you are not well enough yet,' said the kind girl. 'And
where did you say--?'

'To Berryton.'

'Berryton--oh! that's just four miles out on the other side of Elbury,
where Susan Congleton went to live that was housemaid at the Grange. She
says it's such a nice place, and such beautiful organ and singing at
church! And what did you say you were to be, Paul?'

'I'm to help the school-master.'

'Gracious me!' cried Ellen. 'Why, such a scholar as you are, you'll be
quite a gentleman yet, Paul. Why, they school-masters get fifty or sixty
pounds salaries sometimes. I protest it's the best thing I've heard this
long time! Was it Mr. Cope's doing, or my Lady's?'

'Mr. Cope's,' said Paul, beginning to think he had been rather less
grateful than he ought.

'Ah! it is like him,' said Ellen, 'after all the pains he has taken with
you. And you'll not b