The Channings. Henry Wood

that’s one good thing. How jolly he’d have been, just at this moment, if you two had not come up! Wouldn’t he, boys?”

      The boys burst into a laugh; roar upon roar, peal upon peal; shrieking and holding their sides, till the very Boundaries echoed again. Laughing is infectious, and Hamish and Arthur shrieked out with them, not knowing in the least what they were laughing at.

      But Arthur was heavy at heart in the midst of it. “Do you owe much money, Hamish?” he inquired, after they had left the boys, and were walking soberly along, under the quiet elm-trees.

      “More than I can pay, old fellow, just at present,” was the answer.

      “But is it much, Hamish?”

      “No, it is not much, taking it in the abstract. Quite a trifling sum.”

      Arthur caught at the word “trifling;” it seemed to dissipate his fears. Had he been alarming himself for nothing! “Is it ten pounds, Hamish?”

      “Ten pounds!” repeated Hamish, in a tone of mockery. “That would be little indeed.”

      “Is it fifty?”

      “I dare say it may be. A pound here and a pound there, and a few pounds elsewhere—yes, taking it altogether, I expect it would be fifty.”

      “And how much more?” thought Arthur to himself. “You said it was a trifling sum, Hamish!”

      “Well, fifty pounds is not a large sum. Though, of course, we estimate sums, like other things, by comparison. You can understand now, why I was not sanguine with regard to Constance’s hopeful project of helping my father to get to the German baths. I, the eldest, who ought to be the first to assist in it, am the least likely to do so. I don’t know how I managed to get into debt,” mused Hamish. “It came upon me imperceptibly; it did, indeed. I depended so entirely upon that money falling to us, that I grew careless, and would often order things which I was not in need of. Arthur, since that news came, I have felt overwhelmed with worry and botheration.”

      “I wish you were free!”

      “If wishes were horses, we should all be on horseback. How debts grow upon you!” Hamish continued, changing his light tone for a graver one. “Until within the last day or two, when I have thought it necessary to take stock of outstanding claims, I had no idea I owed half so much.”

      “What shall you do about it?”

      “That is more easily asked than answered. My own funds are forestalled for some time to come. And, the worst is, that, now this suit is known to have terminated against us, people are not so willing to wait as they were before. I have had no end of them after me to-day.”

      “How shall you contrive to satisfy them?”

      “Satisfy them in some way, I must.”

      “But how, I ask, Hamish?”

      “Rob some bank or other,” replied Hamish, in his off-hand, joking way.

      “Shall you speak to my father?”

      “Where’s the use?” returned Hamish. “He cannot help me just now; he is straitened enough himself.”

      “He might help you with advice. His experience is larger than yours, his judgment better. ‘In the multitude of counsellors there is safety,’ you know, Hamish.”

      “I have made up my mind to say nothing to my father. If he could assist me, I would disclose all to him: as it is, it would only be inflicting upon him unnecessary pain. Understand, Arthur, what I have said to you is in confidence: you must not speak of it to him.”

      “Of course not. I should not think of interfering between you and him. I wish I could help you!”

      “I wish you could, old fellow. But you need not look so serious.”

      “How you can be so gay and careless over it, I cannot imagine,” said Arthur.

      Hamish laughed. “If there’s only a little patch of sunshine as large as a man’s hand, I am sure to see it and trust to it.”

      “Is there any sunshine in this?”

      “A little bit: and I hope it will help me out of it. I am sure I was born with a large share of hope in my composition.”

      “Show me the bit of sunshine, Hamish.”

      “I can’t do that,” was the answer. “I fear it is not so much actual sunshine that’s to be seen yet—only its reflection. You could not see it at all, Arthur; but I, as I tell you, am extravagantly hopeful.”

      The same ever-gay tone, the same pleasant smile, accompanied the words. And yet, at that moment, instead of walking straightforward into the open space beyond the elm-trees, as Arthur did, Hamish withdrew his arm from his brother’s, and halted under their shade, peering cautiously around. They were then within view of their own door.

      “What are you looking at?”

      “To make sure that the coast is clear. I heard to-day—Arthur, I know that I shall shock you—that a fellow had taken out a writ against me. I don’t want to get it served, if I can help it.”

      Arthur was indeed shocked. “Oh, Hamish!” was all he uttered. But the tone betrayed a strange amount of pain mingled with reproach.

      “You must not think ill of me. I declare that I have been led into this scrape blindfolded, as may be said. I never dreamt I was getting into it. I am not reckless by nature; and, but for the expectation of that money, I should be as free now as you are.”

      Thought upon thought was crowding into Arthur’s mind. He did not speak.

      “I cannot charge myself with any foolish or unnecessary expenditure,” Hamish resumed. “And,” he added in a deeper tone, “my worst enemy will not accuse me of rashly incurring debts to gratify my own pleasures. I do not get into mischief. Were I addicted to drinking, or to gambling, my debts might have been ten times what they are.”

      “They are enough, it seems,” said Arthur. But he spoke the words in sadness, not in a spirit of reproof.

      “Arthur, they may prove of the greatest service, in teaching me caution for the future. Perhaps I wanted the lesson. Let me once get out of this hash, and I will take pretty good care not to fall into another.”

      “If you only can get out of it.”

      “Oh, I shall do it, somehow; never fear. Let us go on, there seems to be no one about.”

      CHAPTER X. – A FALSE ALARM

      They reached home unmolested. Arthur went straight to Mr. Channing, who was lying, as usual, on his sofa, and bent over him with a smile, sweet and hopeful as that of Hamish.

      “Father, may I gain fifty pounds a year, if I can do it, without detriment to my place at Mr. Galloway’s?”

      “What do you say, my boy?”

      “Would you have any objection to my taking the organ at college on week days? Mr. Williams has offered it to me.”

      Mr. Channing turned his head and looked at him. He did not understand. “You could not take it, Arthur; you could not be absent from the office; and young Jupp takes the organ. What is it that you are talking of?”

      Arthur explained in his quiet manner, a glad light shining in his eyes. Jupp had left the college for good; Mr. Williams had offered the place to him, and Mr. Galloway had authorized him to accept it. He should only have to go to the office for two hours before breakfast in a morning, to make up for the two lost in the day.

      “My brave boy!” exclaimed Mr. Channing, making prisoner of his hand. “I said this untoward loss of the suit might turn out to be a blessing in disguise. And so it will; it is bringing forth the sterling love of my children. You are doing this for me, Arthur.”

      “Doing it a great deal for myself, papa. You do not know the gratification it will be to me, those two hours’ play daily!”

      “I understand, my dear—understand it all!”

      “Especially