n the warmth of his zeal, he told how one boy had been laughing
at Hugh's conceit about his themes, when he had shown to-day that he
could not go half through his syntax; and how he had heard another say
that all that did not signify half so much as his being mean about
money. Between Hugh's eagerness to hear, and Dale's sympathy, five
minutes were not over before Hugh had heard every charge that could be
brought against his character, and knew that they were all circulating
this very afternoon. In his agony of mind he declared that everybody at
Crofton hated him,--that he could never hold up his head there,--that he
would ask to be sent home by the coach, and never come near Crofton
again.

Dale now began to be frightened, and wished he had not said so much. He
tried to make light of it; but Hugh seemed disposed to do something
decided;--to go to his uncle Shaw's at least, if he could not get home.
Dale earnestly protested, against any such idea, and put him in mind how
he was respected by everybody for his bravery about the loss of his
foot.

"Respected?"

"Not a bit of it!" cried Hugh. "They none of them remember: they don't
care a bit about it."

Dale was sure they did.

"I tell you they don't. I know they don't. I know it for certain; and
I will tell you how I know. There is the very boy that did it,--the
very boy that pulled me from the wall--O! If you knew who it was, you
_would_ say it was a shame!"

Dale involuntarily sat up, and looked back, over the top of the reeds,
at the boys who were brook-leaping.

"Would you like to know who it was that did it, Dale?"

"Yes, if you like to tell; but--And if he treats you ill, after the way
you used him, he cannot expect you should consider him so--Besides, I am
your best friend; and I always tell you everything!"

"Yes, that you do. And he has treated me so shamefully to-day! And I
have nobody to speak to that knows. You will promise never--never to
tell anybody as long as you live."

"To be sure," said Dale.

"And you won't tell anybody that I have told you."

"To be sure not."

"Well, then--"

Here there was a rustling among the reeds which startled them both, with
a sort of guilty feeling. It was Holt, quite out of breath.

"I don't want to interrupt you," said he, "and I know you wish I would
not come; but the others made me come. The biggest boys lay that the
second-size can't jump the brook at the willow-stump; and the
second-size