n to Ayrton this evening."

"Well, sir, I _am_ hurt like to see you looking so ragged and poorly.
Let me give you a bed to-night, and send you on by first train
to-morrow."

"Oh no, thank you, John, I've got no money, and--"

"Tut, tut, sir I thought you'd know me better nor that. Proud I'd be
any day to do anything for Mrs Trevor's nephew, let alone a young
gentleman like you. Well, then, let me drive you, sir, in my little
cart this evening."

"No, thank you, John, never mind; you are very, very good, but," he
said, and the tears were in his eyes, "I want to walk in alone
to-night."

"Well, God keep and bless you, sir," said the man, "for you look to need
it," and touching his cap he watched the boy's painful walk across some
fields to the main road.

"Who'd ha' thought it, Jenny!" he said to his wife. "There's that young
Master Williams, whom we've always thought so noble like, just been here
as ragged as ragged, and with a face the colour o' my white signal
flag."

"Lawks!" said the woman; "well, well! poor young gentleman, I'm afeard
he's been doing something bad."

Balmily and beautiful the evening fell, as Eric, not without toil, made
his way along the road towards Ayrton, which was ten miles off. The
road wound through the valley, across the low hills that encircled it,
sometimes spanning or running parallel to the bright stream that had
been the delight of Eric's innocent childhood. There was something
enjoyable at first to the poor boy's eyes, so long accustomed to the
barren sea, in resting once more on the soft undulating green of the
summer fields, which were intertissued with white and yellow flowers,
like a broidery of pearls and gold. The whole scene was bathed in the
exquisite light, and rich with the delicate perfumes of a glorious
evening, which filled the sky over his head with every perfect gradation
of rose and amber and amethyst, and breathed over the quiet landscape a
sensation of unbroken peace. But peace did not remain long in Eric's
heart; each well-remembered landmark filled his soul with recollections
of the days when he had returned from school, oh! how differently; and
of the last time when he had come home with Vernon by his side. "O
Verny, Verny, dear little Verny, would to God that I were with you now!
But you are resting, Verny, in the green grave by Russell's side, and
I--O God, be merciful to me now!"

It was evening, and the stars came out and shone by hundreds,