very hard to follow it
in practice if we had a choice like that before us. Well, you tell your
brother when you hear of him, Clinton, that we all think better of him
than before, and that whether he is a sergeant's son or a captain's we
shall welcome him heartily back, and be proud to shake his hand."

And so it was settled, and to the great disappointment of the rest of
the house no clue was forthcoming as to the cause of Edgar Clinton
leaving so suddenly; but as the monitors and seniors all seemed
perfectly satisfied with what they had heard, it was evident to the
others that whatever the cause might be he was not to blame in the
matter.

During the short time that remained of the term Rupert got on better
than he had expected. While the examination was going on Easton invited
him to do his work in his private study, gave him his advice as to the
passages likely to be set, and coached him up in difficult points, and
he came out higher in his form than he had expected to do.

Three days before the school broke up Easton said: "Clinton, I have had
a letter from my father this morning, and he will be very glad if you
will come down to spend the holidays at our place. And so shall I. There
is very good hunting round us. My father has plenty of horses in his
stables, and I expect we shall be rather gay, for my brother comes of
age in the week after Christmas, and there is going to be a ball and so
on. I don't know how you feel about it, but I should say that it would
be better for you than being at home where everything will call your
brother to your mind, and your being there will make it worse for the
others."

"I am very much obliged to you, Easton; I should like it very much. I
will write off to the governor at once and hear what he says. They might
like to have me home, and possibly I might be useful in the search for
Edgar. As I have told you, I feel sure that he has enlisted. He would be
certain to change his name, and it would be no use anyone who did not
know him going to look at the recruits."

"But we agreed, Clinton, that no one would enlist him at his age, and he
is altogether too old to go as a band-boy."

"Yes, I know that; and that is what worries me more than anything. Still
I cannot help thinking that he will try some how to get into the army.
If he can't, I believe he will do anything he can to get a living until
they enlist him."

"I don't think he can anyhow pass as eighteen, Clinton. If it was