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CONCLUSION.

E must hasten on. Tuesday afternoon arrived at last, and all was ready. Saturday had seen the arbour painted, Monday had seen the road cleared. The visit that morning (of Tuesday) had ensured everything being in the best order; and the afternoon found the boys, in tidy clothes, seated in the donkey-cart by about half-past three, though the carriage was not to follow till half-past four, and whipping their good little steed towards the railway station. How much they had to talk of, and how they did talk too, of something or other! But no one could forget the difficulties one and all had been in before Mr. Talbot's last visit, and the general comfort and pleasure now.

Of course they got to the station, ages too soon;

and of course they wandered about, thinking no train ever was so slow, and safely prophesying that the carriage would be late. But no; it drove leisurely up, with full ten minutes to spare. At last the whistle was heard, the smoke was seen, and the great long wormlike thing came rumbling up to the platform. Then out jumped Mr. Talbot, and handed out his wife. They were instantly surrounded by the boys with so hearty a welcome, that you would almost have thought it was some near and dear relatives they were receiving. So valued and so valuable is judicious sympathy!

I am not sure that Mr. Talbot would not have preferred the cart, with the boys, to the carriage. But of course that would never do. Besides, the idea of poor Mrs. Talbot making her entrée at The Refuge alone! So these two departed in the carriage with due dignity, and the boys rattled after in their trap. All reached the house within ten minutes of each other. But we need not stop to describe the welcome given to the Talbots, nor the dinner, nor the conversation afterwards.

The next morning saw Mr. Talbot in his tub rowing off to the island, with all the boys paddling around him. He was really astonished to see the

progress made; and surprised when Ralph assured him that so much of it had been real work, done by the boys themselves. Ralph could tell him exactly how much he had himself effected, so there could be no mistake about the boys' performances. Mr. Talbot said they were very creditable to such little fellows, and that he should write and tell Colonel Lawrence so, though he had not the pleasure of knowing him.

'Oh! Uncle Lawrence had written often,' the boys said.

'And have not you? Oh fie! My dear boys, you must. Let it be a Sunday's task always. It will soon be a pleasure.'

The boys duly promised; and hurried him on to the castle, where Richard described to him the project of laying the foundation-stone 'properly,' into which he fully entered. He was delighted to hear that Mr. and Miss Lawrence had been to the island, and very much surprised.

'It is about the very last thing that I should have expected,' he said. 'Who put it into their heads?' 'Nobody,' the boys said. 'Uncle thought of it for himself, and he was as eager as could be about it; almost as eager as you, Mr. Talbot.'

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'As eager as I!' repeated that gentleman. 'Why, I am a most sober person—never eager at all.'

'Oh!' cried the boys; 'we know better than that.'

Mr. Talbot returned with his young conductors to luncheon; after which the boys were despatched out-of-doors after some of their own devices, whilst the four elders remained for a chat in the comfortable sitting-room. Mr. Talbot then heard more in detail,—all the proceedings that had taken place in his absence; of Dick's talent, but want of perseverance, and of his wilfulness in refusing help,—so utterly conquered, both by the unconscious sweetness and sympathy of little Tommy, and by the generous self-denial of Edward. But full justice was done to Dick's conduct about the arbour, when he at last discovered his brothers' kindness.

'He might do anything, that boy, if he would only think,' exclaimed Mr. Talbot. 'He is an uncommonly imaginative, clever fellow; but so giddy!'

'I would far rather lean on Edward,' replied Mr. Lawrence. He is much slower, but entirely trustworthy. Whatever he sees to be right, or says that he will do, he does, however difficult, however distasteful. He is a noble fellow, though, it may be, a slow one.'

'And I will back my little Tommy,' exclaimed Miss Lawrence, 'to be the kindest, gentlest, sweetest child that ever was. How his mother could leave him, I can't think!'

'You don't find three boys such a fearful infliction after all, then, Miss Lawrence?'

'No, Mr. Talbot; but I must have done so, if you had not come to our assistance. We were all misunderstanding each other before you came.'

'Yes, indeed we cannot be too grateful to you,' said her brother. But what a source of pleasure the boys are to me now, I cannot describe. I shall miss them sadly when they leave for school!-Have you heard of this project of Dick's about his castle ?'

'About laying the foundation-stone? Oh yes. He wants us all to be there and lay it in statę, I understand. And he wants more flags, he says.'

'I will help him to make some,' exclaimed Mrs. Talbot. 'I have made so many, both for my own children and the school, that I consider myself quite an adept in the art.'

Here the carriage came round, in which Mr. Talbot was to drive his wife and Miss Lawrence to a distant and real castle that was considered worth seeing; and the party dispersed to dress, leaving