e bought at a shilling per sheep. A little
private discussion ensued between Harry and Hector on the merits of the
cakes at Ballhatchet's gate, and old Nelly's pies, which led the doctor
to mourn over the loss of the tarts of the cranberries, that used to
grow on Cocksmoor, before it was inhabited, and to be the delight of the
scholars of Stoneborough, when he was one of them--and then to enchant
the boys by relations of ancient exploits, especially his friend Spencer
climbing up, and engraving a name on the top of the market cross, now no
more--swept away by the Town Council in a fit of improvement, which had
for the last twenty years enraged the doctor at every remembrance of
it. Perhaps at this moment his wife could hardly sympathise, when she
thought of her boys emulating such deeds.

"Papa," said Ethel, "will you lend me a pair of spectacles for the
walk?"

"And make yourself one, Ethel," said Flora.

"I don't care--I want to see the view."

"It is very bad for you, Ethel," further added her mother; "you will
make your sight much shorter if you accustom your eyes to them."

"Well, mamma, I never do wear them about the house."

"For a very good reason," said Margaret; "because you haven't got them."

"No, I believe Harry stole them in the holidays."

"Stole them!" said the doctor; "as if they weren't my property,
unjustifiably appropriated by her!"

"They were that pair that you never could keep on, papa," said
Ethel--"no use at all to you. Come, do lend me them."

"I'm sure I shan't let you wear them," said Harry. "I shan't go, if you
choose to make yourself such an object."

"Ah!" said the father, "the boys thought it time to put a stop to it
when it came to a caricature of the little doctor in petticoats."

"Yes, in Norman's Lexicon," said Ethel, "a capital likeness of you,
papa; but I never could get him to tell me who drew it."

Nor did Ethel know that that caricature had been the cause of the black
eye that Harry had brought home last summer. Harry returned, to
protest that he would not join the walk, if she chose to be seen in
the spectacles, while she undauntedly continued her petition, though
answered that she would attract the attacks of the quarrymen, who would
take her for an attenuated owl.

"I wish you were obliged to go about without them yourself, papa!" cried
Ethel, "and then you would know how tiresome it is not to see twice the
length of your own nose."

"Not such a very short al