"Oh no!" replied Hector, "you can look at me; that will do for you quite as well."

"I beg your pardon," said young Lycet, fully sensible of his companion's selfish rudeness; "but at home we have all things so much in common that I did not think you would wish to keep all the fun to yourself."

Hector got down, looking sulky, and, tossing his head, replied: "Well, I dare say that may be the case; you are an eldest son, but I am an only child, and shall have the finest estate in the county."

"Not till your papa dies," answered Master Lycet, "and I am sure you do not wish for that."

Hector did not wish it, and felt the tears rush to his eyes at the idea. He changed the subject, and then took his acquaintance to the stable to shew him his little Arabian horse, which he mounted, and exhibited its paces, but never offered Nicholas a ride."

"I have not seen any pets," said Nick."

"I had rabbits, and hawks, and dogs, and silver pheasants once," answered Hector; "but when I wanted the servants to attend to me they were busy with the pets. I could not stand that, you know, and so gave them all away, except the dogs; and one tires of dogs, but they are about somewhere."

"Then I have not seen your books," observed young Lycet; "where are your favourite books?"

"I cannot say I have any favourite books," replied "Number One," blushing a little, for he knew his education had been neglected; but I cannot think how any boy of spirit can have favourite books. I have some books, but none worth looking at."

H

"I wonder at your having anything not worth looking at, as you are an only child," said Nicholas, bluntly; and then continued, "I am sure I would not change places with you,it is so sweet to make one's brothers and sisters happy, and see them try to make you happy,-I would not change placesand become a 'Number One,'-no, not for all your beautiful things."

It was not polite to make these observations; but young Lycet was hurt at the rudeness and selfishness of his host, and was too fond at all times of speaking his mind, which, if rudely done, is selfishness in another form.

When the dinner was served, Master Howard's nurse came behind his chair to help him, as usual, picking out the nicest bits, and complaining, while he was devouring everything, that her "darling had no appetite." The footman carved; and was about placing the wing of a chicken upon Master Lycet's plate, when the nurse said, "Robert, Robert! you know Master Howard is so delicate that he never eats anything but the liver-wing!"

Robert, who had just entered the service, first apologised, and then said, "That was a difference in wings he never could understand; as surely the liver did not grow under one wing more than another."

Hector told him "He was very impertinent to make such an observation, and that he must leave the room."

The servant did so, muttering something about not entering it again, and spoilt children.

Young Lycet felt himself very uncomfortable; and at last asked if he was not to have the pleasure of seeing Master Howard's mamma. The nurse said her lady seldom left her

room; and then Nicholas told them, that his papa had said he hoped Master Howard would return with him to the Hall, as Mr. Howard would soon be home, and then Hector and himself were to be sent to school together. This was as great a surprise to the nurse as to "Number One." The former ran up to tell her mistress, and the latter cried over his tart.

Mrs. Howard confirmed young Lycet's information. The nurse attempted to remonstrate; the poor lady silenced her at once, and told her she desired to be alone. She had invited young Lycet, in accordance with a plan at last arranged by Mr. Howard, that his son might know at least one of his future companions; and not feel leaving home as much as if he went among total strangers. To spare his wife as much

as possible the pain of parting from her child, when Mr. Howard returned he removed her to Brighton; so there was no leave-taking.

When Hector found that neither his nurse, his pony, nor any of his toys, beyond a cricket-ball and bat, were to go with him, he became quite violent; but Mr. Howard was firm, and though at the very last Hector clung to his knees, and promised to be all he wished, to school he went.

The gentleman to whom he was sent, only received fourteen pupils: those boys cared very little for young Howard's being an only child; but his selfishness and ill-temper annoyed them so much, that he very soon found himself shunned even by young Lycet, whose good humour, industry, and ability, rendered him an universal favourite; the greatest favourite, however, in the school, was a lad of the name of " Rhody." Rhody was an officer's youngest son, the youngest of eleven,

so he neither had much pocket-money to spend, nor many presents to receive: still the brightness of his spirits, his entire carelessness of self, and his universal ability, which he was always ready to exert for his fellow-pupils, made him most popular with all; and the contrast between him and Hector was so great, as to form a frequent subject for conversation amongst the young gentlemen.

Poor Hector! his character had become so defective that it was impossible to know at which end to commence amending it; his pride had grown into the rankest insolence; his helplessness rendered him a burden, which no one was willing to bear; he was thus thrown back upon his own resources, which were enfeebled for want of use; but his greediness, which a liberal supply of pocket-money enabled him to indulge, made him despised more than anything else; and his disdain of beef and mutton raised a frequent laugh at his expense: for all that, his education improved, his dislike of books yielded to emulation, and his excellent master (hopeless as the task seemed to every one else), trusted that time, and total absence from his blindly indulgent home, might at last overcome much that was evil, more particularly as occasional glimpses of better things were visible-at long intervals, to be sure, but even these glimpses left something to hope from. He had been nearly a year at school, when one morning his master was disturbed by a violent altercation in the play-ground; he entered the arena with an open letter he had been reading in his hand, and there saw young Howard, in a violent state of excitement; he had no means at the moment of ascertaining how the quarrel began, but he heard him say, "I, who shall be, and Nick Lycet knows it, if he chooses to speak, the richest

man in the county; who never was expected to carve my own dinner, or feed myself, or eat

66

Anything but liver-wings," added Nicholas, spitefully

enough.

"For shame! for shame!" said Rhody, "that's not generous, Lycet, only you are vexed with him now."

"I, who have been petted as an only child

"A 'Number One,'" repeated two or three together. "And always had my own way-" persisted Hector. "Before you came to school," interrupted another. "We would all help you, if you would help us in return," said a rosy-faced boy.

"Yes!" exclaimed Rhody, "so we would, with all our hearts. You know the maxim you wrote so often in your copy-book, Howard-One good turn deserves another,' and 'Give and take;' and the fable, too, about a lion, who was glad of a mouse's little teeth to nibble him out of the net; so, even if you were a lion, you might be civil to the mice."

"I vote," quoth an embryo M.P., "that we ask our master's permission to send Master Howard to Coventry for a month, where no one is to do anything for him; mind, no one, and then he would find out how helpless the grandee 'Number One' may become."

Hector Howard eyed the various speakers, one after the other, with a countenance swollen with indignation, and was about to say something very desperate, when Dr. Stanley, the master, came forward.

"I do not like this, young gentlemen," he said; "it is very unlike the youths of England to fall upon one; and you Lycet, in particular, who know the defects of his education,