as a sweeper who was always on the look-out for an excuse. He
was, so to speak, chained to that broom so many hours a day, and if he
had been a galley slave, and the broom an oar, it is morally certain
that he would have been beaten with many stripes, for he would have left
off rowing whenever he could.

"Well, squire," he said, laying his hands one over the other on the top
of the broom-handle.

"Well, Peter. How's the horse?"

"Grinding his corn, and enjoying himself," said Peter. "He's like you:
a lucky one--plenty to eat and nothing to do."

"Don't you take him out for exercise?" said Dexter.

"Course I do. So do you go out for exercise."

"Think I could ride?" said Dexter.

"Dersay you could, if you could hold on."

"I should like to try."

"Go along with you!"

"But I should. Will you let me try!"

Peter shook his head, and began to examine his half-worn broom.

"I could hold on. Let me go with you next time!"

"Oh, but I go at ha'-past six, hours before you're awake. Young gents
don't get up till eight."

"Why, I always wake at a quarter to six," said Dexter. "It seems the
proper time to get up. I say, let me go with you."

"Here, I say, you, Peter," shouted Dan'l; "are you a-going to sweep that
bit o' lawn, or am I to come and do it myself. Gawsiping about!"

"Hear that?" said Peter, beginning to make his broom swing round again.
"There, you'd better be off, or you'll get me in a row."

Dexter sighed, for he seemed to be always the cause of trouble.

"I say," said Peter, as the boy was moving off; "going fishing again?"

"No; not now."

"You knows the way to fish, don't you? Goes in after them."

Dexter laughed, and went on down to the river, examined the place where
the branch had broken off, and then gazed down into the clear water at
the gliding fish, which seemed to move here and there with no more
effort than a wave of the tail.

His next look was across the river in search of Bob Dimsted; but the
shabby-looking boy was not fishing, and nowhere in sight either up or
down the stream.

Dexter turned away with another sigh. The garden was very beautiful,
but it seemed dull just then. He wanted some one to talk to, and if he
went again to Peter, old Dan'l would shout and find fault.

"It don't matter which way I go," said Dexter, after a few minutes,
during which time he had changed his place in the garden again and
again; "that old man is always watching me to see wha