ap, have you not?"

"No, papa; only my hat."

"What! no straw hat?"

"No, papa."

"My good boy, how can you be so absurd? Now, ask your own common
sense--is a tall silk-napped hat a suitable thing to wear boating and
inspecting mines?"

"It--it's a very good one, papa," replied Arthur, for want of something
better to say.

"Good one! Absurd! Velvet is good, but who would go clambering up
cliffs in velvet!"

"Taff would if he might," said Dick to himself, as he recalled his
brother's intense longing for a brown silk-velvet jacket, such as he had
seen worn by one of his father's friends.

"Dick, go with your brother to the little shop there round the corner.
I saw straw hats hanging up. Buy him one. I'm going to write a letter.
There, I'll give you a quarter of an hour."

Mr Temple left the room, and as Arthur jumped up, scarlet with
indignation, to pace up and down, Dick laid his face upon his arm in a
clear place and began to laugh.

"It's absurd," said Arthur in indignant tones. "Your clothes will not
fit me properly, and I hate straw hats."

"I wouldn't go," said Dick, lifting his merry face.

"Yes," cried Arthur furiously, "that's just what you want, but I shall
go."

"All right! I should like you to come. Go and slip on my flannels;
they're sure to be dry by now."

"Slip on your rubbishy old flannels!" cried Arthur contemptuously; "and
a pretty guy I shall look. I shall be ashamed to walk along the cliff."

"Nobody will notice you, Taff," said Dick. "Come, I say, look sharp,
here's nearly five minutes gone."

"And what's that about the cigars?" said Arthur furiously. "You stole
my case."

"I only took it for a bit of fun," said Dick humbly. "I did not think
father would have noticed it. You see he thinks it is me who smokes."

"And a good job too! Serve you right for stealing my case."

"But you might have spoken up and said it was yours," said Dick.

"I daresay I should," said Arthur, loftily, "if you had behaved fairly;
but now--"

"I say, boys," cried Mr Temple, "I shall not wait."

"Here, you go and slip on my flannels," said Dick. "I'll go and buy you
a hat. If it fits me it will fit you."

"Get a black-and-white straw," said Arthur. "I won't wear a white.
Such absurd nonsense of papa!"

"Not to let you go boating in a chimney-pot!" said Dick, half to
himself, as he hurried off. "What a rum fellow Taff is!"

Unfortunately for the particular young gentleman the