CHAPTER IX.

CLEMENT AND HIS PAPA TAKE A WALK AND HAVE A TALK.

T Easter, Dr. Bradley came down to the Folly for a few days, and Miss Jewel went home for a little holiday. It was

a great treat to both children and parent to be together again, and they had some pleasant excursions.

Dr. Bradley was much pleased with the improvement in the children's looks, and quite hoped that Clem would soon be as strong and well as the rest. He had grown very tall and thin since his illness; his cheeks were still very pale, and his eyes large and bright. Since he had begun to learn of Mr. Vanster, he spent all his spare time at the piano, -he seemed to care only for music and his little garden, and going to the old church.

He did not like playing with his brothers and sisters; he said their noise made his head ache; and

they did not care to be with him, for they said he was a cross, selfish boy, which was indeed the truth; only Effie had any patience with him, and even she at times felt almost in despair.

'Papa,' said Clement the night before he was to leave the Folly, 'Mr. Vanster says if you will let him teach me singing, he will make me one of his choristers. You will, won't you, papa?'

'I don't know what to say to that, Clement; what sort of boys are the other choristers?' answered Dr. Bradley.

'Oh, I don't know,' said Clem; 'they all wear pretty white gowns, and look very nice.'

'Yes, papa, they look like cherubs,' put in Effie, 'and they sing just like angels! Do, please, let Clem be one.'

'If they look like cherubs and sing like angels,' laughed Dr. Bradley, 'it seems rather hard to refuse; but I am not at all sure, my boy, that it would be good for you to sing just yet.'

Poor Clem looked bitterly disappointed, and the tears came into his eyes, and slowly ran down his cheeks.

'I cannot bear to see a boy cry, it's bad enough for a girl,' exclaimed Dr. Bradley; 'if you are not man enough to bear a little disappointment, I'm ashamed of you, Clement !'

Clem ran out of the room, banging the door after him, and muttering to himself.

'Oh, papa,' said Effie, going up to her papa and smoothing back his hair and looking stedfastly at him with her soft eyes, 'don't be angry with poor Clem; it is not a little disappointment, it is a very great one; indeed it is. You don't know how he has set his heart upon being a chorister boy; and he does love music so,-I think he loves it better than anything else in the world; and there are so few things he cares about. Don't be cross, papa; do

say yes.'

'I cannot resist you, Effie,' said her papa as he patted her cheek; 'you may fetch Clement back.' Effie gladly ran off after her little brother. She found him moping in his own room.

Papa wants you, Clem, dear,' she said; 'I have been persuading him, and I think he will give way.' 'Oh yes,' answered Clem sulkily, of course he will if you persuade him; he will do anything for you, but he will do nothing for me, though I want it ever so much.'

'What nonsense!' laughed Effie.

'It's not nonsense at all, it's quite true,' said Clement. 'No one cares for me; every one but you is cross and unkind to me.'

'Oh, Clem, it is very unkind of you to talk like

that, for you know it is not true, and you know papa only refused because he thought you were not strong enough to sing. Come along, there's a dear, and do try to look pleased.'

'I can't look pleased unless I feel pleased,' said Clem.

'But you must feel pleased if papa is going to let you learn singing.'

So they went down, and Dr. Bradley said that if Clement would be a very good boy for a month, and take a great deal of pains with his music and his other lessons too, he might begin to learn singing. 'If Miss Jewel thinks you are getting stronger,' he added.

Clement was only half satisfied, but he could get

no more.

'You must know, my boy, it is only for your own good that I will not let you begin sooner. So be a good, brave boy. A month will soon be over, and I will try to run down and see you myself at the end of it.'

The month seemed a long time passing to Clem, but it was over at last; and he had been so industrious and attentive to his lessons, that Miss Jewel had not a fault to find with him on their account; but with his brothers and sisters he was almost more irritable than before, so that they at last learned

to take it as a matter of course that he should spend all his play time at his little garden. He wanted to spend it at the piano, but Miss Jewel would make him stay in the open air. Mr. Vanster was delighted with his pupil; and when with him, the poor boy was quite sweet and contented, and the old man looked upon him as almost an angel.

'I never met with such wonderful talent before,' he said to Dr. Bradley. 'Really, sir, you have a son to be proud of. He will be famous some day; indeed he will. I only hope I may live to see it.'

Clement's eyes sparkled with pleasure at hearing this, and his little heart beat with excitement, and he walked home by his father's side dreaming of a brilliant future. To be famous, to be a great musician, that was what the boy longed for, and he almost hated everything that came in the way of his beloved music. Dr. Bradley had come down to the Folly, as he promised, at the end of Clement's month of trial, and he had taken Clem with him to Mr. Vanster's to hear his report, and it was so good that Clement was to have his first singing lesson the next day, and to join the choir as soon as he was fit. Which will be very shortly, I am quite sure,' said the blind old man. 'I have already spoken to our good Vicar, and he is quite ready to admit Clement.'