g's,' she sobbed.

She and her brother knew that school well: its windows, dulled with wire
blinds, its big alarm bell, the high walls of its grounds, bristling
with spikes, the iron gates, always locked, through which gloomy boys,
imprisoned, scowled on a free world. Dr. Strongitharm's was a school
'for backward and difficult boys.' Need I say more?

Well, there was no help for it. The box was packed, the cab was at the
door. The farewells had been said. Maurice determined that he wouldn't
cry and he didn't, which gave him the one touch of pride and joy that
such a scene could yield. Then at the last moment, just as father had
one leg in the cab, the Taxes called. Father went back into the house to
write a cheque. Mother and Mabel had retired in tears. Maurice used the
reprieve to go back after his postage-stamp album. Already he was
planning how to impress the other boys at old Strong's, and his was
really a very fair collection. He ran up into the schoolroom, expecting
to find it empty. But some one was there: Lord Hugh, in the very middle
of the ink-stained table-cloth.

'You brute,' said Maurice; 'you know jolly well I'm going away, or you
wouldn't be here.' And, indeed, the room had never, somehow, been a
favourite of Lord Hugh's.

'Meaow,' said Lord Hugh.

[Illustration: 'If you think cats have such a jolly time,' said Lord
Hugh, 'why not _be_ a cat?']

'Mew!' said Maurice, with scorn. 'That's what you always say. All that
fuss about a jolly little sardine-tin. Any one would have thought you'd
be only too glad to have it to play with. I wonder how you'd like being
a boy? Lickings, and lessons, and impots, and sent back from breakfast
to wash your ears. You wash yours anywhere--I wonder what they'd say to
me if I washed my ears on the drawing-room hearthrug?'

'Meaow,' said Lord Hugh, and washed an ear, as though he were showing
off.

'Mew,' said Maurice again; 'that's all you can say.'

'Oh, no, it isn't,' said Lord Hugh, and stopped his ear-washing.

'I say!' said Maurice in awestruck tones.

'If you think cats have such a jolly time,' said Lord Hugh, 'why not
_be_ a cat?'

'I would if I could,' said Maurice, 'and fight you----'

'Thank you,' said Lord Hugh.

'But I can't,' said Maurice.

'Oh, yes, you can,' said Lord Hugh. 'You've only got to say the word.'

'What word?'

Lord Hugh told him the word; but I will not tell you, for fear you
should say it by accident and then be sorry.

'And