believe he
would take the trouble of going so far, to suffer by the heat."

"I should not mind the heat," sighed Hugh, "if I could go. You must
write to me, Holt, all about India. Write me the longest letters in the
world; and tell me everything you can think of about the natives, and
Juggernaut's Car."

"That I will, if you like. But I am afraid that would only make you
long the more to go,--like reading Voyages and Travels. How I do wish,
though, that you were going with me by-and-by, as you let me go home
with you these holidays!"

It was really true that Holt was going to London these holidays. He was
not slow to acknowledge that Hugh's example had put into him some of the
spirit that he had wanted when he came to Crofton, languid, indolent,
and somewhat spoiled, as little boys from India are apt to be; and Hugh,
for his part, saw now that he had been impatient and unkind towards
Holt, and had left him forlorn, after having given him hopes that they
were to be friends and companions. They were gradually becoming real
friends now; and the faster, because Holt was so humble as not to be
jealous of Hugh's still liking Dale best. Holt was satisfied to be
liked best when Dale could not be had; and as this was the case in the
Midsummer holidays, he was grateful to be allowed to spend them with the
Proctors.

Hugh was so thankful for his father's kindness in giving him a companion
of his own age, and so pleased to show Holt little Harry, and the leads,
and the river, and his shelf of books, and Covent Garden Market, and
other wonders of London, that any unpleasant feelings that the boys had
ever entertained towards each other were quite forgotten, and they grew
more intimate every day. It touched Hugh's heart to see how sorry Holt
was for every little trial that befel him, on coming home, altered as he
was. Agnes herself did not turn red oftener, or watch more closely to
help him than Holt did. Hugh himself had to tell him not to mind when
he saw the shop-boy watching his way of walking, or little Harry trying
to limp like him, or Susan pretending to find fault with him, as she
used to do, as an excuse for brushing away her tears. Holt was one of
the first to find out that Hugh liked to be sent errands about the
house, or in the neighbourhood; and it was he who convinced the family
of it, though at first they could not understand or believe it at all.
When they saw, however, that Hugh, who used to like that