hing! Well, you may go to Fitzroy Square if you like, and stay
till--let me see--stay till the second of January." Bertie's heart gave
a great bound, and his eyes fairly sparkled. "I always give my boys a
present at Christmas," and Mr. Gregory placed two sovereigns in Bertie's
hand, and positively smiled at him. "I'm very pleased with you, my lad,
and when you return we will have a new arrangement. You shall have
Dalton's place in my office, to help with the correspondence, and I'll
pay you a small salary. You can never begin being independent too
soon--and there may be other alterations," Mr. Gregory continued, "but
we will speak of them when you return. Tuesday, the second of January,
mind, and don't be late. You may go at once if you like."

"Thank you, sir. Good-bye, uncle," Bertie said, with a radiant smile;
and ten minutes after he was hurrying towards the Mansion House Station
on his way back to Kensington, fairly hugging his two sovereigns. He was
beginning to get rich already; never had he quite so much money of his
own before, and as he hurried along, he began wondering what he should
do with it. "I know," he said to himself, with a triumphant smile, as he
leaned back in his corner: "I'll give Agnes ten shillings and Eddie ten,
I'll keep ten for myself, and put ten in the savings' bank. Uncle
Gregory says that the way to become rich is to save some of everything,
no matter how little. Ten shillings won't do much towards getting back
Riversdale, but it's a beginning. I hope Eddie has begun to save too."
When he reached home, Bertie found his aunt and cousins just going out
for a drive, and they all seemed a little surprised to see him.

"What's the matter? is anything wrong?" Mrs. Gregory asked, stopping him
in the hall.

"No, aunt; only I've got leave to spend the holidays at Fitzroy Square.
Good-bye, aunt; good-bye, cousins," he added hastily, for he did not
want to lose a moment.

"Wait a moment, Bertie," Mrs. Gregory said, more kindly than she had
ever spoken before; "John will drive you over in the dog-cart, and I
must send your brother and cousin their Christmas gifts; and I hope you
will enjoy yourself very much. Good-bye, my dear;" and Mrs. Gregory went
into the dining-room to order a hamper of good things to be packed for
Fitzroy Square, and then she selected from her enormous store of
presents a workbox for Agnes, a capital volume for Eddie--though the
book had been intended for her own Dick, but i