ajesty's scarlet would mightily become his handsome second son, whereas the black of a Clerk in Orders would do well enough for Mark. Archie, to his father's surprise, chose

Pitt Hall to his sons. "I should have

aiter," said Mark, hint

e services of a professional during the Easter holidays, had not a place in his eleven. On the eve of the great match one vacancy remained to be filled. It became certain that either Mark or Jim Corrance would fill it. Jim has confessed since with shame that he was miserably jealous of Mark, that for a dreadful three weeks this feeling strained their friendship. And he knew that Mark was the better cricketer; more, that he had made his fr

your 'straw,'

Mar

t tak

t-tak

rength. He might faint at Lor

m-confounded. Mark met h

e cried. "I am glad.

ori

blubbered, like a

s at the end of the Easter half. In those days it was hardly possible for a boy to pass into Sandhurst direct from a public school. Billy said that Mark could do it-at the expense of his health; for ext

take my duties too lightly. Perhaps I do, per-haps I do. A big house like this represents a force against which one individual is expected to pit his strength. But I realised long ago that what energy I could spare must of necessity prove-er-intermittent, the undisciplined, amorphous resistance would be constant. You-er-take me? Yes. So I governed myself accordingly. The great force which I was invited to control sways hither and thither, veering now to the right, and now-er-t

e was silence. Billy leaned back in his chair polishing th

nothing will come between you and him, that your brotherly love, which has been a pleasant thing to witness, will continue to grow in strength. Mark has an extravagant affection f

his cheek beg

y kindly; "only take what he gives, generously, and

his speech. And before the fags! He could see and hear the heartless little beasts snickering! As captain of the eleven and of the Philathletic Club

ou tell 'em what they know already-that Billy's is the best house in the school; and then you hope that it will re

e me out

or bray when they get on to th

are you go

or a stammerer. I shall bi

run down from time to time for the purpose of giving advice to the Doctor, which he was sure would be appreciated-and so forth. Billy's roared with laughter, although the sneering voice of Nixon minimus was heard: "I say, he's trying to be funny!" When Archie sat do

u're a beast to leave us," and the like. Mark continued, and in his voice there was a curious minor inflection which held attention and silence in thrall: "I am glad you believe them, although he has laid it on too thick. You see we can't get

ered him,"

rrance got it, and we know what back he broke-eh? The b-b-back of the Eton bowling." (A terrible din followed, during which Bill

in Billy's respected his silence. He did n