"He only wanted to show me that I
was not quite so important as I thought
myself," said Kate, apologetically. "Come,
Edward, let us go into the school-room ; the
exercise won't take half an hour, and there
will be plenty of time for billiards
afterwards."

The boy obeyed, but his cheek still glowed.
He got together what was necessary for his
work in silence, and wrote quickly and
attentively for some time; then suddenly
flinging down his pen, he threw himself on
the floor, and hiding his face on Catherine's
knees, burst into tears.

" Hush, Edward, is this right—is this
Christian?" remonstrated Kitty.

" Rude to you, my own dearest Kitty?"
sobbed the boy. " If I was, I didn't mean it.
Of course you know we can't play without
you at least, I can't; and I'm sure Frank
wouldn't. O, you don't know how dull and
stupid the house is when you are not here.
Father sits in his study, making discoveries
about meteoric phenomena or something or
other; and Frank thinks he's doing a great deal
with Plato, though I believe half the time he
does nothing but smoke and dream; and
mother and I talk ourselves into a horrible
dislike of everything. O Kitty, I hate myself
so sometimes, and you would hate me
too, if you knew what wicked thoughts come
into my head."

" Wicked thoughts come to all of us,
Edward; and you know there is only one mode
of driving them away."

"If I were only Frank, now," said the
boy, "I should be quite happy."

" Oh no, you would not, if you are
discontented now. And your brother loves you so
dearly. I cannot think how you can find it
in your heart to envy him."

" I do though, Kitty. I envy him his
fortune and his rank ; but that is not what I
envy him most. I envy him because
everybody loves him. Why, even you love him
more than you love me."

" Don't you know what good reason I have
to love him?" returned Kitty, firmly, but
with some little embarrassment. " I have
often told you what a friend he has been to
me all my life long."

"Yes, I know that you don't love him
because he is rich and will be called Sir
Francis. O, I wish he had been cross and
ugly, for then you could not have loved
him."

" O, dear Edward, think how wrong it is
to be vexed that your brother is loved."

" Well, it's not exactly that. I don't want
people not to like Frank, for I know he's a
splendid fellow ; but I do wish somebody
would love me better than him or anybody
or anything else in the whole world."

" You know your mother does; and for
her sake you should try to be contented and
happy."

" Well, I am very happy, if the days were
not so confoundedly long and everything so
stupid. Do you know, I did something this
morning. I am sure you will say it was very
wrong I felt it was wrong myself. I didn't
mean to do it, but somehow I couldn't stop.
I told mother I wished I was Frank. She
did look so vexed there came a strange
fierceness into her face. Don't you think
she is very handsome, Kitty? "

" Yes, especially when she smiles."

" No, when she frowns: it's my treasure
of a Kate that looks lovely when she smiles.
Mother looks magnificent when she's fierce.
I feel a sort of creeping of the flesh and
burning at the heart when she looks like that.
Is it wrong to like to see her so? "

" It must be wrong," replied Kitty, gravely.
"She cannot look so unless she feels
unhappy; besides, I do not think it reverent
in you to speculate on your mother's looks,
and to put your own interpretation on a
passing expression."

" Do not look so sorry, Kate— I can't bear
to see you. I know I am very wicked, but
you must not hate me. I try to pray, indeed
I do, and I will yet more. Is it not strange,"
he added presently, in a lower tone—" is it
not very strange that I never like to make
you look sorry; but when I vex mother the
blood leaps in my veins, and I feel as if I
couldn't stop, it makes me feel so near to
her. Look at my forehead: don't you see I
am getting a frown like mother's? I frown
so at night sometimes that it wakes me out
of my sleep. I dream of nothing but battles
and fighting. Dear Kitty, do you think I
could ever go to Heaven?"

" Remember who gave His precious life a
ransom for sinners, Edward! Remember
Him who loves you, and who is touched with
a feeling for your infirmities."

" Sometimes," said the boy, looking out of the
window, and speaking in a soft, dreamy tone
—" sometimes all that is written in the
Testament seems so true, that I feel strong for
anything; but then, all in a moment, away
it goes, and the old bad thoughts come back..
I suppose, Kitty, it is the Devil taking away
the Word out of my heart."

Thus, in the dark November day, they
talked together.

CHAPTER VII.

" MY dear Kitty, we must think of getting
you some new clothes to go to London with.
Of course, you will like to buy the principal
things there; but you must have a new gown
to go in. Morley has a lovely dove-coloured
silk, which I'm sure would just become you,
aud he only wants three-and-ninepence a
yard for it. It's rather a short length, but
he said if I'd take it he'd allow me
something."

"I am not going to London, my dear aunt,"
replied Catherine, in a low voice.

"Not going to London! " exclaimed Miss
Birkby, looking over her spectacles in amazement