ich I was sorry she had uttered. For I was quite sure she was
referring to my nervous desire to do everything correctly at the new
school; and it grieved me that she should speak of it as trying to be
something I was not.

Of course I would remember all she said. There was not much fear of my
being led astray; it was much more likely that I, as an exhibitioner,
would be looked up to by some of the ordinary small boys to show them a
lead. What with Tempest to befriend me at headquarters, and my prestige
as a scholar, and the fact that I knew a pretty good deal about school
already, it was as likely as not I might be instrumental in helping one
or two lame dogs over the stiles of their first term.

My only travelling companion was a motherly sort of person of the farmer
class, who eyed me affectionately--too affectionately to please me--and
attempted to condole with me on the sorrow of leaving home.

"Never mind, dearie," said she--Cheek! for a stranger to call a chap
"dearie."

"You'll be a bit lonely at first, so you will; but you'll get used to
it, and it won't be so long to holiday time, and then you'll see mamma
again."

I wished she wouldn't. She misunderstood me. I wasn't thinking about
the holidays at all. The fact was, I was thinking about my boots and
hat in the bag, and wondering when I should put them on.

Bother it! Why should I mind her or her remarks? Some other new chap
might get in at the next station, and I couldn't change before him. I'd
better get myself up to form now, and so be ready.

So, to the old lady's surprise, I proceeded to take off my shoes and put
on the thick tan boots in their place. She watched me in mingled
admiration and surprise--no doubt the fresh yellow was very imposing,
and made me look as if I was shod in gold. But the High Street at Low
Heath would presently be sparkling with a hundred pairs of such boots,
so what mattered an old lady's temporary astonishment? It was the same
about the hat--indeed worse. For at the sight of that particularly
sporting adornment, she threw up her hands and exclaimed,--

"What a funny little fellow, to be sure!"

I tried to look grave, and as if I had not heard her, but I felt very
conscious of the hat all the same, and only hoped another new boy would
get in presently, so that she might see that a thing might be the
fashion and yet she not know it.

I was a good deal perplexed about the lavender gloves. Of course, I had
n