She opened the letters and read—­

   “Dear aunt Judy: 

“It’s our hour for home letters.  We like it here awfully.  Mrs. Hawthorn is a brick, she lets me come into the drawing-room with her whenever I am tired, but I’ve only been in once yet because I like to watch the boys play best.  I can bowl at cricket and bat too, and I give a boy called ‘Gnat’ twopence a game to do my runs for me.  I’m collecting birds’ eggs.  There’s a boy here who has got 250 of them.  I mean to find a sea gull’s nest, and then he’ll swap twenty of his with me for one gull’s, because he has never got one yet.  There is a boy called ‘Simple Simon,’ he thinks I am a wonder because I let him run pins into my cork leg and never cry out.  He does not know it’s a sham leg and I shan’t tell him.  We should like another hamper very soon, please.  Cook’s gingerbread was A1.  Give my love to granny, and tell her I take my tonic when I go to bed every night.  Give my love to nurse.  Tell old Principle Mr. Hawthorn would like to know such a clever man and see his cave.  Send me Rob’s letter directly it comes, please.  We do drill in the gymnasium.

   “Your loving nephew

   “Fitz Roy Bertram.”

   Dear aunt Judy: 

“This is an awfully jolly school.  I’d like you to be one of the boys.  We are going to have a paper chase next Thursday, and I bet I’ll lick some of the chaps at running.  Roy and I sleep in the next beds to each other.  I look after him when he will let me, he is top of his class and Tom Hunter says he is a plucky chap.  Hunter is captain of the eleven.  We go to bathe every morning down by the sea, and Hunter says his father is going to give him a boat of his own in the summer.  There is a jolly tuck shop in the town.  We can go to it every Saturday.  There is a boy here called ‘Fishy,’ he wants to be my chum but I like one called ‘Cheshire Cat’ better, but I have no chum but Roy.  Old Hawthorn only canes for lies.  A boy got caned last night, and blubbered like a baby before he went in.  I send my love to granny, and all of you.  Roy expects Rob’s letter every day.

   “Your loving nephew

   “Dudley.

   “P.S.  Hunter says our cake has made his
   mouth water for the next.”

XVII

ROY’S BIG OPPORTUNITY

“Roy, Mrs. Hawthorn wants you.  She has got some letters for you.”

Dudley came up excitedly to Roy, directly after dinner was over one Saturday afternoon.

“And I say,” he continued; “bring them out and let us go down to the beach to read them together.  The tide will be out till the evening.”

Roy hastened off, and wondered at Mrs. Hawthorn’s grave look.

“Your aunt has sent me some letters to give you, Roy.  She has only just received them herself.  They are about your friend in India.”