had merely expressed a wish, but without any injunction, that Frank should not associate with him; she hoped, in fact, that he would be obliged to go off to his ship almost immediately; but when she learned that his vessel had been sold, and that he was about to remain at Elm Grove till his owners should find him a situation in some other, she told her son more seriously that she must interfere authoritatively, and insist on his abandoning the company of Harvey. Frank, of course, promised obedience, but the temptation was too strong; among the other articles which the young sailor had brought home with him, was a small Indian canoe; and it afforded his wondering companion no slight amusement to remain for hours together, to see it sail along the river which flowed at the foot of the demesne of Mr. Avonmore; and often, when school was over, instead of hastening home, Frank had gone with his new companion to amuse himself with the alluring toy. On the Saturday previous to the

important day which was to decide his honours at the academy, Frank had as usual stolen off early in the morning to meet Harvey at the end of the village; they were to stroll up the river for some miles, and having amused themselves with bathing, to return with the canoe and sail it down the stream to the bridge at Elm Grove. During the forenoon, Captain Hartwell unexpectedly arrived at the rectory; he was to stay till the following Tuesday, and then return to the Isle of Wight with his nephew. Frank should have been home at twelve o'clock as usual; and after waiting in vain till one, and two, and three, Captain Hartwell and his mother walked over to the school-house, and you may judge of their surprise to find that he had not been to attend his classes for two days before, and that his tutor had supposed him to have remained at home in order to finish the lettering of some maps, in the drawing of which he was a competitor for the prize.

This was the first direct instance of prevari

cation of which he had been guilty; and he had, in fact, been now detected in the uttering of a double falsehood, since he had lately accounted to his mother for his absence on several occasions by the same excuse, of occupation during extra hours in the school-room, which proved to be totally unfounded. His uncle and Mrs. Hartwell returned to the rectory extremely vexed and disappointed; the former, in particular, was chagrined to find his expectation, not only of Frank's application, but of his character, so cruelly belied; and his mother, when she returned, could not refrain from tears on thinking of the folly and falsehood of her child. Dinner passed away, but no Frank made his appearance, and evening was drawing on, ere a gentle and concealed knock at the door announced his arrival. Mrs. Hartwell immediately went to inquire after the cause of his absence, when she started on seeing the condition in which he had returned; his clothes torn, muddy, and soaking with wet; his hat

bruised into fifty shapes; the breast of his shirt covered with blood; and his face discoloured with blows. He was himself so thoroughly ashamed of his conduct and appearance, that he could not hold up his head, nor welcome his uncle; he could only blush, and look abashed, and wish to leave the room; and it was with considerable difficulty that his mother could induce him to account for the manner in which he had spent the day, and met with the accidents which had so much

disfigured him. He at length acknowledged that he had been all the morning in the company of Harvey; that they had quarrelled at some distance up the river; that Harvey had struck him; and in the scuffle which ensued, that he had rolled down the bank into the stream, had his face cut by the stones, and his eyes blackened by the blows of his cowardly assailant, who was nearly twice his age. His tears and protestations of penitence during this recital, convinced Mrs. Hartwell of his sincere

regret for his disobedience; and on his assurances of amendment in future, he obtained her pardon, and was permitted to retire to bed. The following morning his face was so swollen, and his eyes so bloodshot, that it was impossible for him to accompany his family to church: but a severer trial was still before him; the examination was to take place the succeeding day, and such was his appearance, that it was in vain for him to think of attending; the contest went on; the prize was decided; and, in Frank's absence, a rival, whom he could easily have surpassed, carried off all the honours which he had been so long anticipating for himself. His sorrow for his past disobedience was now unavailing; he was in tears from morning till night, but its only consequence was that his eyes became more and more inflamed; the wetting which he had got on Saturday brought on a severe attack of cold, and Frank was laid up in bed with a fever at the time when his uncle departed for Southampton, and when he