"What!" cried the Alderman.

"How mean you-my

Tutor."

"I have sure advice that he is a spy of the Court," replied his friend.

"Then he shall not darken my doors an hour longer," said the Alderman impetuously.

Softly, softly!" urged the Fleming; "you are so hotyour chief fault, you English,—so extreme. Why, to discharge him would ruin you at once. You must watch him warily, But show no suspicion."

and use him as your own tool. "Oh that I had the wings of a dove,'" sighed the good Rector, "then would I flee away and be at rest.””.

"Your prayer may be answered sooner than you think," Isaid Van Diense. "I have been forced to take to the wings of an exile for my religion, and now England is getting too hot for the Puritans, and some have already found a pilgrim-nest in the wilderness. I may yet welcome you to our free Holland."

"A greater trial I can hardly conceive," replied the Rector. "You foreigners take it more easily than we islanders. You soon pick up a strange tongue, while we should be ever dumb and deaf amidst all your life abroad. You have brought here a most valuable art, which makes you a national benefactor; and you have large commercial connections; but what possible good could I do in a strange land where I could not preach?"

"I shall never leave England-nor Norwich, as I think. I will not tempt Providence, which placed me here," said the Alderman.

"I must be hunted out like the hare from her warm hole before I quit England," rejoined Mr. Allen.

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But," said the Fleming, "if there were no good for you to do (and, truth to say, we have our clergy in abundance, and not such unworthy preachers either), yet, for my part, I have found exile a school in which there is much wisdom to be learned."

"My worthy friend,” replied Bridge, "thanks for recalling me to that less flattering side of the matter, though still I trust so hard a school may not be appointed. I should be a fish out of water: the voyage would unnerve me; the strange looks and accents on landing-the want of home comforts the strange food on table-other money to trade with-and to be looked on with jealousy and dislike, would be real trials. What if we were ill there ?-strange doctors and nurses; and if death came, away from home, and never again to see England, and to be buried in a marsh or in a dyke! Good Lord, deliver us!"

Here the conversation came to an abrupt end by the sudden entrance of the very Tutor spoken of, followed by the boys and girls in seeming excitement.

Addressing the Alderman, the young man said, "Sir, I presume you will not allow me to be insulted and disobeyed by my pupils."

"Assuredly not; what have they done?"

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They were very aggravating at the shooting, sir, and refused to be guided by my advice."

"Our Tutor wanted us," explained George, "to allow the Bishop's son to win the prize which was offered to free competition."

"I represented to them," rejoined the Tutor, "that when the son of a prelate condescends to mix in the people's sports, he should be allowed some superiority."

Here the Fleming interposed, saying, "As umpire, I must say he had fair play, and a prize was offered him which he rudely spurned."

"He could hardly be expected to be set below his inferiors," persisted the Tutor: "all the clapping was reserved for others, while he was actually hissed; and after his failure George had the impertinence to say aloud,

'Silver and silk never save spilt milk:

The rough bow of yew hit the target true.'

Was not that insulting?"

"Father," replied George "young Wren had wholly retired before those words were uttered.”

"Then Edward," added the accuser, "took hold of the silk tassels of his beautiful bow, and tried to pull them off."

"Nay," said Edward, "I only seconded the advice of the umpire to remove them, or they would distract his sight, the issue of which was that his next shot was his best.”

“Sir, I feel it to be my duty as Tutor to show you the difficulty I have in curbing boys of so plebeian a spirit, and I entreat you to order their submission.”

"Father," said George, "it was all Wren's doing."

"We had no idea of offending," said Edward.

“Boys,” said the Alderman, “you must heed your Tutor's advice. I hope you were not discourteous to the Bishop's son, though you beat him in practice. If so, I should judge your prizes forfeit, for they ought to reward conduct as well as skill. What is my friend Van Diense's opinion, who was on the spot ?"

“As umpire and prize-giver, I must say I saw no illconduct save that of young Wren. But I advise Master Green to let the matter drop,”—here he looked him steadily in the face—“for he has superiors who would not sanction his losing an important charge through his want of tact or temper."

The Tutor obviously winced, and said he was content with the explanations given. He hoped all would go right for the future.

But here George stood forward, prize in hand, and said, "Father, I cannot keep this prize. Wren acted badly, but I had no right to ridicule him; I did not keep my temper in check. I am glad I said nothing worse."

All were astonished at this frank self-judgment from one so young. The father took the prize, saying, “George, I will keep it till I think you deserve to receive it. You are acting well now, at all events.”

"Take mine too, father," said Edward; “I had the same feelings."

This the Alderman refused, and the young people turned to leave the room. Alice came to George almost crying. “Oh, George, it was we who hissed him: you beat him fairly, and deserve the prize. It is so good of you to give it up. He made all the trouble.”

CHAPTER III.

THE MUMMERS AND POCTHORPE.

"Like sportive deer they coursed about,
And shouted as they ran,

Turning to mirth all things on earth,
As only boyhood can,

While the usher sat remote from all,
A melancholy man."

HOOD.

HE young people having partly regained their merriment, rushed back to the maypole, where the group of masquerading dancers was expected every minute. A buxom maid who attended on Alice, when she saw her young lady returning to the Green, ran after her, having also her own motives for wishing to see the show.

"So you would have left me behind, Mistress Alice?" she said, out of breath by running fast.

"Ah !" replied George at once, 66 trust you and isn't Will Barnard to be in the dance?"

for that, Ann :

"You young rogue!" replied Ann; but turning the subject prudently, she added, looking round, "Where is his reverence the Tutor? You had some difference with him.” He doesn't like to see us happy," said May. "He has been accusing the boys of bad behaviour, when it was all the Bishop's son. Don't tell, Ann, but we hissed."

"Yes," cried Alice, "our boys beat him, and he was