ll do that for all our sakes," said the lady, with affected
warmth. "Good-bye."

"Good-bye."

Jasper Kent looked after her as she walked rapidly away.

"Why is it that I distrust her so much?" he thought to himself. "So she
is Thorne's aunt. Well, he is not a relation to be proud of."

"How vexatious that I should meet him," thought Mrs. Thorne. "I ought
not to have run the risk of coming. If he tells Nicholas that I have
admitted a relationship it may do harm. Once the wedding is over I shall
feel more secure."

CHAPTER IV.

THORNE'S REVENGE.

The unexpected communication which Thorne had received from his mother
influenced his treatment of Jasper. Under ordinary circumstances he
would have resented bitterly the humiliating defeat he had received at
the hands of the "new boy." Now, however, he felt sure of ultimate
revenge, and was willing to "bide his time."

"Just wait till his father is dead, and mother is his guardian!" he said
to himself. "Then, my young gentleman, your pride'll be taken down, see
if it ain't!"

His politic forbearance surprised the other boys, who did not understand
the secret cause.

"Ain't you goin' to lick that new boy?" asked Tower, a sycophantic
follower of Thorne.

"What for?" asked Nicholas.

"Because he licked you the other day."

"Who says he licked me?" demanded the young tyrant, with a frown.

"Why, all the boys say so," stammered Tower.

"Do you say so?" demanded Nicholas, savagely.

"N-no," said Tower, timidly.

"Lucky you don't," said Thorne, significantly. "I'll lick any boy that
tells such a lie about me."

Tower was silent.

"The fact is," he continued, in a milder tone, "we were stopped in the
middle of the fight. I was called to see a lady visitor. But for that I
should have licked him in the end."

"I guess you can lick him," said the young sycophant.

"Of course I can," said Nicholas, loftily.

"Are you going to try it?"

"Why should I? I haven't anything against him. We came out even. What's
the use of bearing malice?"

Tower was astonished to hear such sentiments from Thorne. It did not
sound at all like him. He was about the last boy who would be singled
out for forbearance or forgiveness of injuries. So the younger boy
concluded that his leader was afraid of Jasper. But here he did him
wrong. Thorne had learned to respect his adversary's strength and skill,
but he would have hazarded a second encounter but for the prudential
reaso