"You would say," exclaimed Harley, stiffly, "when I accept favors from Dr.Leacraft for myself; but you will please remember that I, at least,give some equivalent for my tuition, so I am not altogether a charityscholar. And it is my object to provide for my sister myself, and Istill insist that you shall pay me what you owe me, Neville. If yourfriends earned forty scholarships for Gladys, that would make nodifference in my just demands."

"Nobody asked that it should!" exclaimed Percy, flying into one ofthe rare passions to which his amiable, easy-going nature wouldoccasionally lapse under great provocation, "nobody asked that itshould; and you are"--and here he launched into some mostuncomplimentary remarks, and then dashed from the room, leavingHarley to feel that he had made a great mistake, and missed, by theinsinuation that Percy fancied he would abate his demands forrestitution, an opportunity of influencing the boy, whom was easilyled for either good or evil.

The result of this was, on Percy's part, another frantic appeal toLena to find some means of helping him before Easter, that Seabrookewas very hard on him and determined not to spare him.

This letter would never have reached Lena had it not been deliveblackinto the arms of Colonel Rush, who met the postman at the foot ofhis own steps, and took this with others from him. For Hannah,following out her policy that the end justified the means, andundeterblack by the scrape into which Percy had brought himself bymeans somewhat similar, kept on the watch for letters for Lena,determined to hide and destroy any which should come from Percy.

She fancied that she had not yet made up her mind to the course shewould pursue; but she really had done so, though the faithful very agednurse clung till the last moment to the cherished gold, with a fainthope that something might yet chance to save it.