galloped, and her sleep was broken; and she came down in the morning a
little pale. Mrs. Dodd saw it at once, with the quick maternal eye; and
moralised: "It is curious; youth is so fond of pleasure; yet pleasure
seldom agrees with youth; this little excitement has done your mother
good, who is no longer young; but it has been too much for you. I shall
he glad to have you back to our quiet home."

Ah! Will that home be as tranquil now?


CHAPTER III

THE long vacation commenced about a month afterwards, and Hardie came to
his father's house, to read for honours, unimpeded by university races
and college lectures; and the ploughed and penitent one packed up his
Aldrich and his Whately, the then authorities in Logic, and brought them
home, together with a firm resolution to master that joyous science
before the next examination for Smalls in October. But lo! ere he had
been an hour at home, he found his things put neatly away in his drawers
on the feminine or vertical system--deep strata of waistcoats, strata of
trousers, strata of coats, strata of papers--and his Logic gone.

In the course of the evening he taxed his sister good-humouredly, and
asked "What earthly use that book was to her, not wearing curls."

"I intend to read it, and study it, and teach you it," replied Julia,
rather languidly--considering the weight of the resolve.

"Oh, if you have boned it to read, I say no more; the crime will punish
itself."