did he continue to look,
that her cheek grew hotter and redder, and a something like resentment
seemed to possess her; while he, as though suddenly conscious of having
in some degree committed himself, held down his head in deep confusion.

May Leslie arose from her seat, and, with a haughty toss of her head,
drew nigh the table.

"Are you going to join us, May?" cried the boy, merrily.

"I 'm going to take my first lesson, if Mr. O'Shea will permit me,"
said she; but the tone of her voice vibrated less with pleasure than
resentment.

"I 'm at my lessons, too, May," cried Clara, from the window. "Is it not
kind of him to help me?"

"Most kind,--most considerate!" said May, abruptly; and then, throwing
down the cue on the table, she said, "I fancy I have a headache. I hope
you 'll excuse me for the present." And almost ere Mr. O'Shea could
answer, she had left the room. Clara speedily followed her, and for a
minute or two not a word was uttered by the others.

"I move that the house be counted," cried the Member for Inch. "What has
come over them all this evening? Do _you_ know, Layton?"

"Do _I_ know? Know what?" cried Alfred, trying to arouse himself out of
a revery.

"Do you know that Inch-o'-brogue has not left me five shillings out of
my last quarter's allowance?" said the boy.

"You must pay for your education, my lad," said O'Shea. "I did n't
get mine for nothing. Layton there can teach you longs and shorts, to
scribble nonsense-verses, and the like; but for the real science of
life, 'how to do _them_ as has done _you_,' you must come to fellows
like me."

"Yes, there is much truth in _that_," said Layton, who, not having
heard one word the other had spoken, corroborated all of it, out of pure
distraction of mind.

The absurdity was too strong for Agincourt and O'Shea, and they both
laughed out "Come," said O'Shea, slapping Layton on the shoulder, "wake
up, and roll the balls about. I 'll play you your own game, and give you
five-and-twenty odds. There's a sporting offer!"

"Make it to me," broke in Aginoourt.

"So I would, if you weren't pumped out, my noble Marquis."

"And could you really bring yourself to win a boy's pocket-money,--a
mere boy?" said Layton, now suddenly aroused to full consciousness, and
coming so close to O'Shea as to be inaudible to the other.

"Smallest contributions thankfully received, is _my_ motto," said
O'Shea. "Not but, as a matter of education, the youth has gained