moreover, a father there whom he
loved very much: but Hugh could never hear Lamb's talk about India
without being ready to cry.

"Do you think," he said to Holt, "that all this is true?"

"It is true that he is to go to India. His father has interest to get
him out. But I do not believe he will like it so well as he thinks. At
least, I know that my father has to work pretty hard,--harder than Lamb
ever worked, or ever will work."

"O dear! I wish I could go and do the work; and I would send all the
money home to him (except just enough to live upon), and then he might
go to dinners and balls in London, as much as he liked, and I could see
the Hindoos and the cave-temples."

"That is another mistake of Lamb's,--about the quantity of money," said
Holt. "I do not believe anybody in India is so rich as he pretends, if
they work ever so hard. I know my father works as hard as anybody, and
he is not rich; and I know the same of several of his friends. So it is
hardly likely that such a lazy dunce as Lamb should be rich, unless he
has a fortune here at home; and if he had that, I do not believe he
would take the trouble of going so far, to suffer by the heat."

"I should not mind the heat," sighed Hugh, "if I could go. You must
write to me, Holt, all about India. Write me the longest letters in the
world; and tell me everything you can think of about the natives, and
Juggernaut's Car."

"That I will, if you like. But I am afraid that would only make you long
the more to go,--like reading Voyages and Travels. How I do wish,
though, that you were going with me by-and-bye, as you let me go home
with you these holidays!"

It was really true that Holt was going to London these holidays. He was
not slow to acknowledge that Hugh's example had put into him some of the
spirit that he had wanted when he came to Crofton, languid, indolent,
and somewhat spoiled, as little boys from India are apt to be; and Hugh,
for his part, saw now that he had been impatient and unkind towards
Holt, and had left him forlorn, after having given him hopes that they
were to be friends and companions. They were gradually becoming real
friends now; and the faster, because Holt was so humble as not to be
jealous of Hugh's still liking Dale best. Holt was satisfied to be liked
best when Dale could not be had; and as this was the case in the
Midsummer holidays, he was grateful to be allowed to spend them with the
Proctors.

Hugh was so thankful for h