ve."

"Well, I don't know; I did little enough. Did they tell you--you won't
mind hearing it now, I know,--that poor Thompson died last week? The
other three boys are getting quite sound, like you."

"Oh, yes, I heard of it."

Then Tom, who was quite full of it, told Arthur of the burial-service in
the chapel, and how it had impressed him, and he believed all the other
boys. "And though the Doctor never said a word about it," said he, "and
it was a half-holiday and match-day, there wasn't a game played in the
close all the afternoon, and the boys all went about as if it were
Sunday."

"I'm very glad of it," said Arthur. "But, Tom, I've had such strange
thoughts about death lately. I've never told a soul of them, not even my
mother. Sometimes I think they're wrong; but, do you know, I don't think
in my heart I could be sorry at the death of any of my friends."

Tom was taken quite aback. "What in the world is the young 'un after
now?" thought he; "I've swallowed a good many of his crotchets, but this
altogether beats me. He can't be quite right in his head." He didn't
want to say a word, and shifted about uneasily in the dark; however,
Arthur seemed to be waiting for an answer, so at last he said, "I don't
think I quite see what you mean, Geordie. One's told so often to think
about death, that I've tried it on sometimes, especially this last week.
But we won't talk of it now. I'd better go--you're getting tired, and I
shall do you harm."

"No, no, indeed I ain't, Tom; you must stop till nine, there's only
twenty minutes. I've settled you shall stop till nine. And oh! do let me
talk to you--I must talk to you. I see it's just as I feared. You think
I'm half mad--don't you now?"

"Well, I did think it odd what you said, Geordie, as you ask me."

Arthur paused a moment, and then said quickly, "I'll tell you how it all
happened. At first, when I was sent to the sick room, and found I had
really got the fever, I was terribly frightened. I thought I should die,
and I could not face it for a moment. I don't think it was sheer
cowardice at first, but I thought how hard it was to be taken away from
my mother and sisters, and you all, just as I was beginning to see my
way to many things, and to feel that I might be a man and do a man's
work. To die without having fought, and worked, and given one's life
away, was too hard to bear. I got terribly impatient, and accused God of
injustice, and strove to justify myself; and th