showed to his brother was shown solely for _his_ sake.

"Do you know, I've thought of a plan for making you two friends again?
I've written to Aunt Trevor to ask him to Fairholm with us next
holidays."

"Oh, have you? Good Verny! Yes; _there_ we might be friends. Perhaps
there," he added, half to himself, "I might be more like what I was in
better days."

"But it's a long time to look forward to. Easter hasn't come yet," said
Vernon.

So the two young boys proposed; but God had disposed it otherwise.

CHAPTER VII

THE PIGEONS

"Et motae ad Lunam trepidabis arundinis umbram."

Juv. X. 21.

"How awfully dull it is, Charlie," said Eric, a few weeks before Easter,
as he sat with Wildney in his study one holiday afternoon.

"Yes; too late for football, too early for cricket." And Wildney
stretched himself and yawned.

"I suppose this is what they call ennui," said Eric again, after a
pause. "What is to be done, Sunbeam?"

"You _shan't_ call me that, so there's an end of it," said Wildney,
hitting him on the arm.

"By the bye, Eric, you remind me to-morrow's my birth-day, and I've got
a parcel coming this afternoon full of grub from home. Let's go and see
if it's come."

"Capital! We will."

So Eric and Wildney started off to the coach-office, where they found
the hamper, and ordered it to be brought at once to the school, and
carried up to Eric's study.

On opening it they found it rich in dainties, among which were a pair of
fowls and a large plum-cake.

"Hurrah!" said Wildney, "you were talking of nothing to do; I vote we
have a carouse to-morrow."

"Very well; only let's have it _before_ prayers, because we were so
nearly caught last time."

"Ay, and let it be in one of the class-rooms, Eric; not up here, lest
we have another incursion of the 'Rosebuds.' I shall have to cut
preparation, but that don't matter, It's Harley's night, and old Stupid
will never twig."

"Well, whom shall we ask?" said Eric.

"Old Llewellyn for one," said Wildney. "We havn't seen him for an age,
and he's getting too lazy even for a bit of fun."

"Good; and Graham," suggested Eric. He and Wildney regarded their
possessions so much as common property, that he hadn't the least
delicacy in mentioning the boys whom he wanted to invite.

"Yes; Graham's a jolly bird; and Bull?"

"I've no objection; and Pietrie?"

"Well; and your brother Vernon?"

"No!" said Eric, emphatically. "At any rate I won't lea