"Since you find Kenrick too difficult for you, you may go into the third class, where there may be, perhaps, something better suited to your capacity; and beware a second offence: you may go, sir." Louis felt great pity for the boy, who turned whiter still, and then flushed up, as if ready to burst into tears.
"Well, Louis, I wish to see what rank you will be able to take," said the doctor, and he proceeded with his examination.
"Humph!" he ejaculated at length, "pretty well--you may try in the second class.

I can tell you that you must put your shoulder to the wheel, and make the most of your powers, or you will soon be obliged to leave it for a less honorable post; but let me see what you can do--and now put these books away on that shelf." As he spoke, the doctor pointed to a vacant place on one of the shelves that lined two sides of the study, and left the room.

Louis put the books away, and then returned to the school-room, where he sought his brother, and communicated his news just before the general uproar attendant on the close of afternoon school commenced.
Reginald was one of the most noisy and eager in his preparations for play; and, dragging Louis along with him, bounded into the fresh air, with that keen feeling of enjoyment which the steady industrious school-boy knows by experience.
"What a nice play-ground this is!" said Louis.
"Capital!" said Reginald.

"What's the fun, Frank ?" he cried to his cousin, who bounded past him at this moment, towards a spot already tolerably crowded.
"Maister Dunn," shouted Frank.
"Oh, the old cake-man, Louis," said Reginald; "I must go and get rid of a few surplus pence." "Do you like to spend your money in cakes ?" asked Louis; "I have plenty, Mrs.Colthrop took care of that." "In that case I'll save for next time," said Reginald, "but let's go and see what's going on." Accordingly Reginald ran off in the cake-man's direction.

Louis followed, and presently found himself standing in the outer circle of a group of his school-fellows, who formed a thick wall round a white-haired old man and a boy, both of whom carried a basket on each arm, filled with dainties always acceptable to a school-boy's palate.
[Illustration: Maister Dunn.] Were I inclined to moralize, I might here make a few remarks on waste of money, &c., but my business being merely to relate incidents at present, I shall only say that there they stood, the old man and his assistant, with the boys in constant motion and murmur around them.
Frank Digby and Hamilton were in the outer circle, the latter having _walked_ from a direction opposite to that from which Frank and Reginald came, but whose dignity did not prevent a certain desire to purchase if he saw fit, and if not, to amuse himself with those who did so.