irthday; and Sir George, anxious
to efface from his grandson's memory any painful reminiscences of the
last, arranged the order of things much in the same manner, taking care
that Louis' proteges, the school-children, should not be forgotten.

This news had just been communicated to Louis by his grandfather, with
many expressions of commendation, and he was in a state of complacent
self-gratulation, that feeling which would have led him to say, "By
the strength of my hand I have done this;" instead of, "My strength
will I ascribe unto the Lord," when a kind, soft hand, glittering with
rings, was laid upon his arm, and the pleasant voice of his old friend
Mrs. Paget greeted him.

"So, Master Louis, we are to have a fete, I hear. Are you really
fourteen on the 27th? Come and sit down and tell me all about your
school. I knew you would soon be a favorite. What's all this long
story that everybody talks of and nobody knows? I said I would ask
you, the most proper person to know it; and I know you will tell me
the secret."

"It is no secret, ma'am," said Louis; "I would rather not talk of it."

"Just like your own modest little self: and it might not be kind to tell
every one all the story, perhaps; but with an old friend like me, you
know you are safe."

"But, ma'am, you might forget when every one is talking--"

Louis stopped and colored, for he thought it seemed rather conceited to
imagine every one must be talking of him, and he corrected himself,

"At least, dear Mrs. Paget, I had much rather not, I mean."

"You are a dear, kind little boy," said the injudicious lady;
"I know very well you are afraid of committing that naughty
school-fellow of yours. I can't understand about the _keys_--I
heard your brother saying something about them--what keys? Were
they the keys of the boy's desks?"

Louis could hardly help laughing--"No, ma'am, Kenrick's keys."

"And who is Kenrick--one of the masters?"

"It is a book, ma'am--a key to the Greek exercises."

"Oh, I see--a sort of translation--well, he stole this from
Dr. Wilkinson, and said you'd done it?"

"No, not that," replied Louis. "He took it out of the study. Some
of the boys were in the habit of using the keys when they could."

"Well, there was nothing so very terrible in it, poor fellows.
I dare say the lessons are very hard. I think every boy ought to
have an English translation of those frightful Latin and Greek books."

Louis opened his eyes and quietl