is father's kindness in giving him a companion
of his own age, and so pleased to show Holt little Harry, and the leads,
and the river, and his shelf of books, and Covent Garden Market, and
other wonders of London, that any unpleasant feelings that the boys had
ever entertained towards each other were quite forgotten, and they grew
more intimate every day. It touched Hugh's heart to see how sorry Holt
was for every little trial that befel him, on coming home, altered as he
was. Agnes herself did not turn red oftener, or watch more closely to
help him than Holt did. Hugh himself had to tell him not to mind when he
saw the shop-boy watching his way of walking, or little Harry trying to
limp like him, or Susan pretending to find fault with him, as she used
to do, as an excuse for brushing away her tears. Holt was one of the
first to find out that Hugh liked to be sent errands about the house, or
in the neighbourhood; and it was he who convinced the family of it,
though at first they could not understand or believe it at all. When
they saw, however, that Hugh, who used to like that his sisters should
wait upon him, and to be very slow in moving from his book, even at his
mother's desire, now went up stairs and down stairs for everybody, and
tried to be more independent in his habits than any one else, they began
to think that Holt knew Hugh's mind better than even they, and to
respect and love him accordingly.

There was another proof of friendship given by Holt, more difficult by
far; and in giving it, he showed that he really had learned courage and
spirit from Hugh, or in some other way. He saw that his friend was now
and then apt to do what most people who have an infirmity are prone
to,--to make use of his privation to obtain indulgences for himself, or
as an excuse for wrong feelings; and when Holt could not help seeing
this, he resolutely told his friend of it. No one else but Mrs. Proctor
would see or speak the truth on such occasions; and when his mother was
not by, Hugh would often have done selfish things unchecked, if it had
not been for Holt. His father pitied him so deeply, that he joked even
about Hugh's faults, rather than give him present pain. Phil thought he
had enough to bear at Crofton, and that everybody should let him alone
in the holidays. His sisters humoured him in everything: so that if it
had not been for Holt, Hugh might have had more trouble with his faults
than ever, on going back to Crofton.