"Enough, enough, Ben! run away," said Mrs. Garth, seeing that Fred was

teased. . .

"Are Letty and Ben your only pupils now, Mrs. Garth?" said Fred, when

the children were gone and it was needful to say something that would

pass the time. He was not yet sure whether he should wait for Mr.

Garth, or use any good opportunity in conversation to confess to Mrs.

Garth herself, give her the money and ride away.

"One--only one. Fanny Hackbutt comes at half past eleven. I am not

getting a great income now," said Mrs. Garth, smiling. "I am at a low

ebb with pupils. But I have saved my little purse for Alfred's

premium: I have ninety-two pounds. He can go to Mr. Hanmer's now; he

is just at the right age."

This did not lead well towards the news that Mr. Garth was on the brink

of losing ninety-two pounds and more. Fred was silent. "Young

gentlemen who go to college are rather more costly than that," Mrs.

Garth innocently continued, pulling out the edging on a cap-border.

"And Caleb thinks that Alfred will turn out a distinguished engineer:

he wants to give the boy a good chance. There he is! I hear him

coming in. We will go to him in the parlor, shall we?"

When they entered the parlor Caleb had thrown down his hat and was

seated at his desk.

"What! Fred, my boy!" he said, in a tone of mild surprise, holding his

pen still undipped; "you are here betimes." But missing the usual

expression of cheerful greeting in Fred's face, he immediately added,

"Is there anything up at home?--anything the matter?"

"Yes, Mr. Garth, I am come to tell something that I am afraid will give

you a bad opinion of me. I am come to tell you and Mrs. Garth that I

can't keep my word. I can't find the money to meet the bill after all.

I have been unfortunate; I have only got these fifty pounds towards the

hundred and sixty."

While Fred was speaking, he had taken out the notes and laid them on

the desk before Mr. Garth. He had burst forth at once with the plain

fact, feeling boyishly miserable and without verbal resources. Mrs.

Garth was mutely astonished, and looked at her husband for an

explanation. Caleb blushed, and after a little pause said--

"Oh, I didn't tell you, Susan: I put my name to a bill for Fred; it was

for a hundred and sixty pounds. He made sure he could meet it himself."

There was an evident change in Mrs. Garth's face, but it was like a

change below the surface of water which remains smooth. She fixed her

eyes on Fred, saying--




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