CHAPTER IV.

THE CANDLESTICK.

OU may be sure that week of punishment passed very slowly with Geoffry. He tried all that he could to make up for the harm he

had done by working all day in the garden;

but no amount of work will mend up broken plants, or get back young carrots which have been eaten up by pigs. It is always so much easier to do wrong than it is to cure it after it is done.

For a whole week, through being constantly reminded of his fault, Geoffry was very thoughtful, and again and again he made up his mind that he would for the future remember instead of forgetting, and for all the time that Geoffry was at home, the sight of the shabby flowers kept him in mind long after the week

was over.

Geoffry was home for an unusually long holiday, because measles had broken out in the school, which had

obliged the master to break up at a wrong time of the year; but about three weeks after the pigs had turned volunteer gardeners, Geoffry returned to school full of resolution to be a very good boy, and never to forget any more.

Unfortunately, in all these resolves Geoffry left out one thing, he did not ask God to help him; and if you had asked him why he did not, I expect he would have said, 'I forgot it.'

Upon first returning to school, he was more careful and more obedient; but the punishment was over; his father had quite forgiven him; everything was right and happy. Geoffry's joyous spirits came back; and although for a time he tried to remember, and would think over what he was told in his own mind, and then found that he could remember, a very little time had passed away before the old excuse would come to his lips, 'I forgot it.'

Geoffry Lisle was a great favourite at school. He was a bright, clever boy at all games—a very goodnatured, sweet-tempered boy, and very handsome.

Though for his looks he did not care a bit, so far as conceit went. We all know that some boys are goodlooking and some boys are plain; and good-looking boys and girls should be very thankful that they are so, for it is a great advantage. It is all nonsense to say that we should not care how we look. Ugly boys should make themselves look as nice as they can, by always being

clean and holding themselves well, and being gentlemanly in their manner; and handsome boys should remember that if they are at all conceited about their beauty, that they leave off being nice-looking. Geoffry was not in the least conceited. He used to say, he left that to the 'ugly fellows.' Do you know that, when I am writing about Geoffry, I am thinking of a real boy -a boy whom I know very well, and who is just like him.

The master of the school was very fond of Geoffry, for he was a good boy at his lessons, and never did any ungentlemanly thing. The master's name was Mr. Calton.

There was a study belonging to Mr. Calton, in which there was a bookcase full of very nice amusing books, and some of the elder boys were allowed to read these books upon half-holidays.

About a week or so after Geoffry's return to school, he was seated at dusk reading in the study. He was so much interested in the story-book that he did not hear the master come in, until Mr. Calton spoke to him saying,

'You cannot see any longer, I am sure, Lisle. You had better put the book away for to-day; you will want all your eyesight some years hence.'

'Oh yes, indeed, sir, I can see quite well,' said Geoffry, like all boys, ready to try his eyes till he was blind.

'I shall not let you go on reading though,' said Mr. Calton.

'Might I have a candle for half-an-hour, sir?' said Geoffry, coaxingly; 'I shall have finished the book by that time, and it is just half-an-hour before the teabell.'

'You know I don't allow candles here,' said the master.

'I have very nearly finished the story,' said Geoffry, getting up from the window-sill, where he was seated, and putting the book back into its place with a sigh, ' and it is so pretty, sir.'

'Are you very much interested in it?' asked Mr. Calton, placing his hand on the boy's shoulder.

Geoffry looked up at him with a pleasant, goodhumoured smile, as he answered, 'That I am; I think I shall dream about the ending of it.'

Had he looked cross or sulky, Mr. Calton most likely would have let him go away without saying anything more about it; but Geoffry's pleasant good temper, as it usually does with other good-tempered people, got the better of his master, and he said, 'Well, my boy, I will let you have a candle to finish your book, just for this once.'

'Thank you, sir,' said Geoffry, running off to get it. When he returned Mr. Calton was still in the study; and upon leaving it he said to Geoffry, 'Now, mind and be careful, Lisle. Don't leave the candle

burning here when you come away. Be sure and put

it out.'

'All right, sir,' said Geoffry cheerily, who was already again deep in his story-book.

In half-an-hour's time the book was finished, but Geoffrey did not feel quite ready to go away; the teabell had not rung, and his head was full of the tale he had been reading, so he sat down once more by the window to think over the adventures which had so much amused him. As he sat at the window, he heard a little voice calling to him, 'Lisle, I say, look down.' There was little Bell Calton, the master's little girl, and Geoffry's own little sweetheart, as he called her, looking up to him from the play-ground.

'What is it, Bell?' he asked.

'Come down,' said she, 'the boys is so rude; Henry Watson has hitted me on the back, and hurt me very much,' and Bell began to cry. She had forgotten the crying part of it until she began to tell of her illtreatment.

'Where is Watson?' asked Geoffry.

'Out there, in the cricket field,' said Bell, and he says he'll do it again if I touch his ball. He is a very bad boy, do you know, Lisle.'

Geoffry rushed down-stairs in search of Watson; as he reached the entrance door, he remembered the candle which he had left burning on the study table, and said, in his own mind,' Oh dear, I have not put it out as