xing poor papa, who has so much to trouble him.'

Jean-sans-terre's brown eyes looked odd in their expression of mingled
fun and sadness; he was trying to feel sorry and ashamed, as he knew he
ought, but penitence was so very difficult to him. 'Dear little mother,
don't fret; I'll do better for the future,' he said caressingly.

No experience of the fragile nature of his promises had availed to make
his mother distrust him. 'My darling, I'm sure you will,' she answered
with ready confidence.

He was so anxious to assure her of his good intentions, that he had
nearly revealed the secret of his intended labour at Caesar, and his
desire to obtain the half-crown to aid his plans for the desert, but he
remembered in time that it was his brothers' secret as well as his own;
and Lackland, if he lacked wisdom and steadiness and industry, was at
least not deficient in a sense of honour, so he was silent. But he could
almost have thought that she guessed at his scheme when she went on, 'If
you would only pursue one thing steadily, and _make_ yourself do it in
spite of disinclination, you don't know what good it would do you, and
how it would help you in everything else. Be a hero, Johnnie, and
conquer your idleness!'

'I mean to be a real hero some day, mamma,' he answered, smiling. 'You
know Uncle Gustavus has promised to use his interest to get me a
commission, and then you shall see how well I'll serve the Queen. Don't
you remember telling me how Bertrand du Guesclin was a great bother to
everybody when he was a boy, but yet he grew up so jolly brave that
people were glad to run to him for help when he was a man?'

'And his mother hadn't patience with him, and yet afterwards lived to be
proud of him: is that the inference you mean me to draw, Johnnie?'

'No, no, no! she was a cross old thing. Don't you remember how she was
going to have Bertrand beaten, when that kind old nun stopped her?
You're not a bit like her, dear little mamma,--not a scrap, not an atom!
But oh, mamma, when will you be able to read us all those famous stories
about heroes? They're the only things I ever remember, and I'm pining
for one of them.'

'You shall have one as soon as papa thinks I'm strong enough to read
aloud. But, my hero, I want you to consider that before you can get a
commission you must pass an examination, and knowing about Du Guesclin
won't make up for deficiency in arithmetic and French grammar.'

'Oh, I'll see about all that;