h a mess of things lately, that I thought
I'd better leave it alone, for that I was safe to put my foot in it one
way or other, so I came and told you instead."

"Well, we'll see about it," replied I, turning towards the library;
"perhaps he has received some bad news from home: his father or mother
may be ill."

On entering the room we perceived Coleman seated in one of the windows,
his head resting on his hand, looking certainly particularly miserable,
and altogether unlike himself. So engrossed was he that he never heard
our approach, and I had crossed the room, and was close to him, before
he perceived me; consequently, the first word I uttered made him
jump violently--an action which elicited from Lawless a _sotto voce_
exclamation of, "Steady there, keep a tight hand on the near rein; well,
that was a shy!"

"Freddy," began I, "I did not mean to startle you so; but is anything
the matter, old fellow?"

"You've frightened me out of six months' growth," was the reply;
"matter! what should make you think that?"

"Well, if you must know," returned Lawless, "I told him I thought there
was a screw loose with you, and I haven't changed my mind about it
yet either. Any unsoundness shown itself at home, eh? I thought your
governor looked rather puffy about the pasterns the last time I saw him,
besides being touched in the wind, and your mother has got a decided
strain of the back sinews."

"No, they're well enough," replied Freddy with a faint smile.

"Then you've entered your affections for some maiden stakes, and the
favourite has bolted with a cornet of horse?"

"That's more like it," returned Coleman, "though you've not quite hit
it yet--but I'll tell you, man, if it's any satisfaction to you to hear
that others are as unlucky as yourself, or worse, for what I know. I'm
not greatly given to the lachrymose and sentimental, in a general way,
but I must confess this morning to a little touch of the heartache.
You see, Frank," he continued, turning to me, "there's my cousin Lucy
Markham, the little girl with the black eyes--"

"You forget that she was staying with us last week," interrupted I.

"To be sure she was," resumed Freddy; "this vile letter has put
everything out of my head--well, she and ~424~~ I--we've known each
other since we were children--in fact, for the last four or five years
she has nearly lived with us, and there's a great deal in habit, and
propinquity, and all that sort of thing. 'Man was