out them."

Terence said he should like it very much, if he did not go back to
Ireland. He had three brothers and a sister, but they were all older
than himself. His papa was the Honourable Mr Adair, and he had an
uncle, Lord Derrynane. He did not know whether they were rich or not.
They lived in a big house, and had a number of servants, and people were
constantly coming and going; so he supposed they were. The truth was,
as I heard afterwards, they were living a great deal too fast, and
Terence had nothing left as his share of his father's property, except,
as he said, his debts. That, however, was no fault of his.

"I say," observed Jack, "don't let us leave that poor fellow alone any
longer. He seems very low-spirited about his mother. It's natural, you
know; though I don't like to see a fellow blubbering just because he has
hurt himself, or lost a peg-top, or anything of that sort."

So they went up to Alick Murray, and began talking to him, and Terence
said something funny and made him laugh.

"I wonder what games they have here?" asked Jack.

"Coach-and-horses," said a biggish fellow, who had just entered the
playground with some long strips of leather over his arm and a whip in
his hand. "Now, if you three fellows will just be harnessed, you'll
make a very good unicorn."

They all looked at each other, and as the big boy spoke in a
good-natured tone, they agreed to do as he wished. Jack and Alick were
harnessed together; Terence insisted on going as unicorn.

"I say, though," cried Jack, looking back; "what are you called? I
always like to know the name of the driver."

"Ben Trotter when I'm not called Master Benjamin Trotter," was the
answer.

"Not a bad name for a coachman," observed Jack, beginning to prance and
kick about. He got a cut with the whip in return for his remark.
Terence reared and neighed, and kicked about furiously all the time,
like a high-mettled steed who wanted to be off; and at last, Trotter
having got the ribbons adjusted to his satisfaction, away they all went
round the playground at a great rate, looking with great disdain on
those boys who had only got string for harness. Thus were the three
new-comers first yoked in fellowship. They were very much together ever
afterwards, though they also had their own especial friends. Murray and
Rogers were the most constant to each other. Murray was a studious,
gentle boy. He had more talent than Jack; that is to say, he