miles without tiring. My voice, as you hear, has never come right."

Peter rose as he spoke, and looked at his watch-the handsome gold one the French lady had given him.

"It is getting late," he said; "I must be going." The children again thanked Peter Pranks, and, bidding him good-bye, they ran in-doors, where Aunt Charlotte was anxiously awaiting them, as bedtime was very near. "Such capital tales as Peter can tell!" cried Harty, "and every bit true, aunty."

"I will tell aunty about poor Bess," said Dolly.

But it was too late for any more story-telling that night, and, after bidding Aunt Charlotte good-night, the brother and sister went off to their beds.

Dolly at least was soon in hers, and soon sound asleep. But Harold was restless. He was turning over in his mind all the pedlar had told them. Now he recalled the storm, with the roaring winds and the dashing waves. Then he thought of the fireman's life-the rattling engine, the sheets of flames, the hapless people calling for help from the windows.

"Suppose," he said to himself, "this house were to be on fire, I wonder how we could get out-Dolly and I?" Dolly's little room was next to that of her brother. "The mountain-ash grows close to this window," thought Harty; "I wonder if I could get into it from here, and so knock at Dolly's window and save her and myself. How fine it would be !”

He lay thinking, and fancying, till he almost persuaded himself it would happen.

"I must just look out and see how near it is,” he said to himself.

In a moment more he had slipped out of bed on to the floor. He quietly stole to the window, and raised the blind. But the night was dark, and he could not see the tree distinctly. He lifted the window cautiously, but, careful as he was, it squeaked somewhat.

"The tree is farther off than I thought," he said, half aloud. "I wonder how near Peter's tree was!"

He leaned from the window.

At that moment a bright light flashed over the lawn in front of the house.

Was it fire!

Then there was a loud knocking at his bedroom door. Harty gave a cry of alarm.

CHAPTER V.

THE CRICKET MATCH AND MIRIAM.

AN evil conscience makes cowards of us all. Harty sprang into bed, not stopping even to close the window. Then the door of his room opened, and Aunt Charlotte entered. Harty was quaking under the bed-clothes, fearful of he knew not what. "The window open!" exclaimed Aunt Charlotte, "that was the noise I heard! What is the meaning of it, Harold?" The boy knew his aunt was displeased when she called him Harold. He peeped out very humbly, "I was only looking into the garden," he said.

"Looking into the garden!" repeated his aunt; "and after you were undressed! What reason could you possibly have for getting up again to look out of the window? You must have been to bed, for it is more than an hour since you and Dolly came upstairs. Tell me directly what you were about!” His aunt had closed the window, and now sat down by the bedside. Harty knew she would insist upon an answer; so, very

much ashamed, he told how he had been thinking over the tale Pranks had told of the fire, and how he had been looking to see, whether, in case of the cottage being on fire, the tree could be made available as a means of escape. "You are very silly, Harty," said his aunt, "to run the risk of catching cold, leaving your warm bed just to look at a tree. You would see much better by daylight. Now, if you have said your prayers, as I hope you did before you lay down, just go to sleep quietly, and think no more of fires, or anything else to-night."

She kissed him, and was quitting the room, when Harty said,

"What was that bright light that went all across the garden, aunty, just before you came in ?

"I suppose it was the light from my lamp as I passed by the staircase window," replied his aunt; and, bidding him once more good-night, she left him.

Harty was soon asleep and dreaming of fires and wrecks, and poor old Bess, the faithful dog, all mixed up together.

The children were up betimes to see the pedlar start on his journey again, for he always came to the cottage, to get his orders for things he was to bring with him when next he came.

"Don't forget my ship," said Harty, when they said good-bye to Peter Pranks at the end of the lane. They had gone so far with him, and Bannock followed

them.

"Never fear, Master Harty," returned Peter, "I'll keep it for you, safe and sound.”

"I shall have the money ready by the next time you come," said Harty. "Will it be a month?"

"Not quite so long, maybe," replied Peter. “My leg feels more stiff at times than it used to, and I want to make my journeys shorter."

"I am glad of that, I shall have my ship the sooner," said Harty.

"And you will tell us more stories again?" said Dolly. "Yes, miss, that I will, with pleasure," said the pedlar. And again he bade them good-bye, and went on

his way.

The children stood and watched him, till he was out of sight; then they raced with Bannock home to breakfast. Before they had finished, a visitor called; it was Freddy Fairbairn, who had been a school-fellow of Harty, until his parents went to live so far off, that he could not attend the school. Harty had been very sorry to lose his school-mate. The boys were very much attached to each other, and to spend a day together was one of their chief pleasures. This morning Freddy brought great news. There was to be a cricket match in the field behind Mr. Fairbairn's house. Freddy and his brothers were to play. He had come to beg a holiday for his friend, that he might join them. Harty was off his chair before Freddy had half told his news.

"Sit still, Harty, finish your breakfast," said his aunt.

E