ed Frank, raising his head quickly, and endeavoring,
rather unsuccessfully, to smile, amid something that looked very
much like tears; at least, if we must not be allowed to hint at such
appearances, there was certainly much agitation in his countenance--so
unusual a phenomenon, that a dead silence followed the ghastly effort.

"Nonsense," said Hamilton, kindly; "you won't persuade me that nothing
is the matter, Frank."

"Nothing particular," said Frank, fidgeting with a penny that lay on
the mantelpiece; "only the doctor has been giving me a lecture for the
good of my morals, that's all."

"A lecture?" repeated Norman.

"What's been the matter, Frank?" said Reginald.

"A small moral discourse upon the sin and danger of practical jokes,"
said Frank, swallowing down such an evident degree of emotion as
convinced his auditors that the discourse had been no ordinary one.
"His hints were rather peculiar, Hamilton--too decided for so
quick-sighted a youth as myself. I don't wonder he has such a
horror of a joke; I should think the dear man never was guilty
of such a crime in his life himself; or he has a strong imagination;
or, perhaps, a bad opinion of your humble servant--all the same--the
cause doesn't much signify; the effect's what one looks at."

"Something dreadfully mysterious," said Reginald.

Hamilton was silent. He watched anxiously Frank's varying countenance,
the twitching of which, as well as the thick, quick tone in which he
spoke, betrayed great excitement.

"The fact is, I suppose, the doctor has reasons for his suspicions,"
continued Frank, still more quickly, while his face grew redder, and
his eyelids twinkled painfully, and the penny was fairly spun into
the fender.

"I haven't been quite so sage as I might have been, and, perhaps, jokes
may not be quite gentlemanly--but,--but, Hamilton,--he thinks,--he
thinks--and almost said it--that _I changed your poem_."

"What a shame!" they cried.

Frank stooped to pick up the penny, and was some minutes finding it.
When he rose, he said:

"One will grow old in time, but it's hard to pay so dearly for good
spirits. However, you couldn't expect such a flow cheap, I suppose,"
he added, with a little laugh.

"You must have mistaken him," said Trevannion; "he couldn't have
meant it."

"I am not in the habit of taking offence at nothing," replied Frank.
"Nay, I can be as purposely obtuse as any one when I choose, but one
couldn't be blind."

"What