at did you get two volumes for?" asked Mr. George.

"One for Rollo and one for me," said Waldron. "They are for us to read
this evening, because it rains."

"Well," said Mr. George, after a moment's pause. "I am very glad to find
that you take an interest in reading about Scotland; but you ought to
have asked me, before you went away to get books from a circulating
library."

Waldron paused a moment on hearing this remark, and his countenance
assumed a very serious expression.

"So I ought," said he. "I did not think of that. And now, if you think I
had better, I will go and carry them right back."

"No," said Mr. George, "I don't wish you to carry them back. But I
should not have thought they would have intrusted such books to you--a
perfect stranger--and a boy besides."

"I made a deposit," said Waldron.

Just at this time the waiter brought the supper to the table, and the
party, being all hungry, set themselves to the work of eating it.

"You see," said Waldron, when they had nearly finished their supper, "I
thought we should want something to do this evening; it rains, and we
can't go out."

"What time in the evening do you suppose it is?" asked Mr. George.

"Why, it is not near dark yet," said Waldron.

"True," said Mr. George; "but it is almost ten o'clock."

"O Mr. George!" exclaimed Waldron.

"It is half past nine, at any rate," said Mr. George.

The boys were greatly surprised at hearing this. They were very slow in
learning to keep in mind how late the sun goes down in the middle of
June in these extreme northern latitudes.

However, on this occasion it was dark earlier than usual, on account of
the clouds and the rain; and the waiter came to light the gas over the
table where our party were at supper, before they finished their meal,
although it was only a little more than half past nine. This made it
very bright and cheerful in the corner, and Mr. George proposed that
they should all stay there one hour. "I will write," said he, "and you
may read in your books. We will stay here till half past ten, and then,
after you have gone to bed, you can talk yourselves to sleep by telling
each other what you have read about in your books."

This plan was carried into effect. Mr. George wrote, and the boys read,
by the light of the gas for an hour. Then Mr. George put away his
papers, and said it was time to go to bed. When the boys went to their
bedroom they found two narrow beds in it, one in each