olidays? It's so jolly to see you again."

"So you're coming as a boarder," said Montagu, "and to our noble house,
too. Mind you stick up for it, old fellow. Come along, and let's watch
whether the boats are bringing any more fellows; we shall be starting in
a few minutes."

"Ha! there's Russell," said Eric, springing to the gangway, and warmly
shaking his friend's hand as he came on board.

"Have your father and mother gone, Eric?" said Russell, after a few
minutes' talk.

"Yes," said Eric, turning away his head, and hastily brushing his eyes.
"They are on their way back to India."

"I'm so sorry," said Russell; "I don't think any one has ever been so
kind to me as they were."

"And they loved you, Edwin, dearly, and told me almost the last thing
that they hoped we should always be friends. Stop! they gave me
something for you." Eric opened his carpet-bag, and took out a little
box carefully wrapped up, which he gave to Russell. It contained a
pretty silver watch, and inside the case was engraved--"Edwin Russell,
from the mother of his friend Eric."

The boy's eyes glistened with joyful surprise. "How good they are," he
said; "I shall write and thank Mrs Williams directly we get to Roslyn."

They had a fine bright voyage, and arrived that night. Eric, as a
newcomer, was ushered at once into Dr Rowlands's drawing-room, where
the head-master was sitting with his wife and children. His greeting
was dignified, but not unkindly; and, on saying "good-night," he gave
Eric a few plain words of affectionate advice.

At that moment Eric hardly cared for advice. He was full of life and
spirits, brave, bright, impetuous, tingling with hope, in the very flush
of boyhood. He bounded down the stairs, and in another minute entered
the large room where all Dr Rowlands's boarders assembled, and where
most of them lived, except the few privileged sixth-form, and other boys
who had "studies." A cheer greeted his entrance into the room. By this
time most of the Rowlandites knew him, and were proud to have him among
their number. They knew that he was clever enough to get them credit in
the school, and, what was better still, that he would be a capital
accession of strength to the cricket and football. Except Barker, there
was not one who had not a personal liking for him, and on this occasion
even Barker was gracious.

The room in which Eric found himself was large and high. At one end was
a huge fireplace, and