I am sorry to say, but lest it should be found

out.

His papa and uncle were at that moment talking rather loudly, so that they did not hear the little noise the cup made in falling, and no one else was in the room but Hugh.

Harry stooped and picked up the cup, which was broken into a great many pieces, and Hugh came and looked over his

shoulder.

'Won't I tell of you!' said Hugh, laughing.

'No, Hugh—no, you mustn't. If you do, it will be a great shame,' said Harry, half crying. 'I declare, if you do, I'll go and tell that it was you chased the fowls, and I helped.'

'You helped, you little sneak!' said Hugh. 'You hunted them quite as much as I did. There, don't begin to blubber. I won't tell if you behave yourself. All this was said in a low voice; and just then Aunt Sophy came into the room, and Harry, having put the pieces of the cup on the bracket, tried to look as if nothing had happened.

That was the most foolish thing he could have done, as you will see. If he had gone to his aunt and said, 'I am very sorry that I have broken this little cup; I ought not to have touched it;' then the worst would have been over; but now, until it was found out, Harry was in momentary fear and a miserable state.

But he was not brave enough to tell the truth.

CHAPTER IV.

HARRY'S IGNORANCE.

HE next day, after breakfast, Uncle Tom took Hugh and Harry round the garden. There were plenty of gooseberries and currants still left, and their uncle told the boys that they might pick some to eat, which you may be sure Hugh and Harry were not slow to do. As they passed along by the garden wall, Hugh said 'What a lot of cherries!' and his uncle answered

'Yes; they are very early this year, but that is an early sort. This is the first year that tree has borne, and I wish to see what sort of fruit it is. The cherries are not nearly ripe yet; you must mind not to touch them,

boys, remember. I have told your cousins

the same.'

Uncle Tom looked round at the boys quickly as he said this, and Hugh and Harry said 'No, we won't;' but as they walked on they looked back at the cherries several times, thinking that they looked very nice, and that Uncle Tom must be mistaken about their not being ripe.

Just then Walter came running up to them with a pretty little slow-worm in his hand. A slow-worm is about three times as long as your little hand, and is prettily spotted with yellow and white on a dark shining skin.

'Look!' said Walter, 'look what I have found! May I keep it, papa? Look, Harry,' and he placed the little slow-worm upon his cousin's arm.

Harry gave a scream and threw the little beast from him, then placed his foot upon it as hard as he could, so as to pinch off its tail.

'What did you do that for?' asked Uncle Tom, while poor little. Walter burst into

tears.

'Horrid thing! it is a snake, it will sting,' said Harry, seizing a spade which lay near, and beating and stamping at the slow-worm.

It will do nothing of the sort,' said his uncle. 'You are a very silly little boy, and have injured the poor little beast through your ignorance.'

'I thought all snakes stung,' said Harry rather sulkily, while he stood a long way off from the slow-worm. They do in the Zoological Gardens; I know they do.'

'You should not be in such a hurry to kill any living thing, Harry,' said Uncle Tom. 'Vipers sting, as you call it; that is, they will if they are trodden on; but even a viper could not hurt you at that distance.'

Walter was by this time dancing on in front, until he stopped in front of some beehives.

'How can you go so close?' asked Hugh. 'Bees sting, at any rate; you must say "Yes" to that, Uncle Tom.'

'Bees sting nasty boys; they won't sting those who are kind to them.'