th no cousins or friends of my own age."

The proposal struck me as most delightful. During the last few moments
I had been picturing up the ancient house, with its old-world
associations and romantic hidden chamber, and comparing it, in my mind,
with the prosaic red-brick building in which my own parents lived.
Moreover, Coverthorne, I knew, was situated on the sea-coast, and only
about a quarter of a mile from the summit of the rugged cliffs. I had
often listened with envy to my friend's tales of wrecks and smugglers,
and longed to have an opportunity of wandering over the wide headlands,
climbing the rocks and exploring the caves. Now the prospect of such
treats being actually in store made me feel quite a thrill of
delightful anticipation.

I had not finished thanking Miles and telling him how much I should
like to come, when we reached the school. Passing through a side door
we entered the playground, and were almost immediately surrounded by a
crowd of "Foxes," who had somehow got wind of our escape from the
"Eagles," and were eager to have a detailed account of the adventure.

Telling our story, and receiving the congratulations of the other
members of our "tribe," so much occupied our attention that we hardly
noticed the sound of a horse galloping down the road and stopping in
front of the schoolhouse; but a few moments later Sparrow, the porter,
crossed the playground and, addressing Miles, told him he was wanted at
once by Dr. Bagley.

A message of that kind from the headmaster usually meant that there was
trouble in the wind.

"Hullo!" exclaimed a boy named Seaton, "what's the row, I wonder?
He'll want you next, Eden. You must have been seen in the woods, and
the squire has sent some one over to complain."

Reluctantly Miles followed the porter. In no very enviable frame of
mind I waited, expecting every minute to be ordered to appear before
the doctor in his study. Still no such message came, nor did Miles
return to inform us of his fate. We heard the horseman ride away
again, but the height of the playground wall prevented our seeing
whether he really were one of the men-servants from the Hall. A little
later Liddle returned with a band of his "braves;" but the "Foxes"
being also present in force, he could only shake his fist at me, and
repeat his former threats of what he would do if he caught us on the
hunting-ground of the "Eagles." At length the bell rang, and we moved
towards the house