e done without
him? He made me write to Mr. Tooke, and so got me out of debt; and a
hundred times, I am sure, the thought of him and his secret has put
spirit into me. It would be a pity if he should fail without knowing it,
for want of somebody to put him in mind. He might so easily think he was
bearing it all well, as long as he could talk about his foot, and make a
joke of being lame, when, all the while, he might be losing his temper
in other ways."

"Why, how true that is!" exclaimed Hugh. "I was going to ask if I was
ever cross about being lame: but I know I am about other things, because
I am worried about that, sometimes."

"It is so easy to put you in mind," continued Holt; "and we shall all be
so glad if you are brave to the very end----"

"I will," said Hugh. "Only do you go on to put me in mind----"

"And _you_ will grow more and more brave, too," observed Mrs. Proctor to
Holt.

Holt sighed; for he thought it would take a great deal of practice yet
to make him a brave boy. Other people thought he was getting on very
fast.

CHAPTER XV.

CONCLUSION.

The longer these two boys were together, the more they wished that they
could spend their lives side by side; or, at least, not be separated by
half the globe. Just before the Christmas holidays, some news arrived
which startled them so much that they could hardly speak to one another
about it for some hours. There was a deep feeling in their hearts which
disposed them to speak alone to the Ruler of their lives, before they
could even rejoice with one another. When they meditated upon it, they
saw that the event had come about naturally enough; but it so exactly
met the strongest desire they had in the world, that if a miracle had
happened before their eyes, they could not have been more struck.

Holt's father wrote a letter to Mr. Proctor, which reached its
destination through Mr. Tooke's hands; and Mr. Tooke was consulted in
the whole matter, and requested by Mr. Proctor to tell the two boys and
Phil all about it. These three were therefore called into Mr. Tooke's
study, one day, to hear some news.

The letters which Mr. Tooke read were about Hugh. Mr. Holt explained
that his son's best years were to be spent, like his own, in India; that
his own experience had made him extremely anxious that his son should
be associated with companions whom he could respect and love; and that
he had long resolved to use such interest as he had in bringing o