"You will ask Him too, mother;--you will pray Him to make me brave, and--and----" "And what else?" she inquired, fixing her eyes upon him. "And steady," replied Hugh, casting down, his eyes; "for that is what I want most of all." "It is," replied his mother. "I do, and always will, pray for you." Not another word was said till they went down into the parlour. Though it was only eleven o'clock, Miss Harold was putting on her bonnet to go away: and there was a plate of bread and cheese on the table. "Lunch!" said Hugh, turning away with disgust. "Do eat it," said Agnes, who had brought it. "You had no breakfast, you know." "Because I did not want it; and I can't eat anything now." Jane made a sign to Agnes to take the plate out of sight: and she put some biscuits into a paper bag, that he might eat on the road, if he should become hungry. Neither Miss Harold nor Hugh could possibly feel any grief at parting; for they had had little satisfaction together; but she said very kindly that she should hope to hear often of him, and wished he might be happy as a Crofton boy. Hugh could hardly answer her;--so amazed was he to find that his sisters were giving up an hour of their lessons on his account,--that they might go with him to the coach!--And then Susan came in, about the cord for his box, and her eyes were red:--and, at the sight of her, Agnes began to cry again; and Jane bent down her head over the glove she was mending for him, and her needle stopped. "Jane," said her mother, gravely, "if you are not mending that glove, give it to me. It is getting late." Jane brushed her hand across her eyes, and stitched away again. Then, she threw the gloves to Hugh without looking at him, and ran to get ready to go to the coach. The bustle of the inn-yard would not do for little Harry. He could not go. Hugh was extremely surprised to find that all the rest were going;--that even his father was smoothing his hat in the passage for the walk,--really leaving the shop at noon on his account! The porter was at his service too,--waiting for his box! It was very odd to feel of such consequence. Hugh ran down to bid the maids good-bye. The cook had cut a sandwich, which she thrust into his pocket, though he told her he had some biscuits. Susan cried so that little Harry stood grave and wondering. Susan sobbed out that she knew he did not care a bit about leaving home and everybody. Hugh wished she would not say so, though he felt it was true, and wondered at it himself. Mr. Proctor heard Susan's lamentations, and called to her from the passage above not to make herself unhappy about that; for the time would soon come when Hugh would be homesick enough. Mr. Blake, the shopman, came to the shop-door as they passed, and bowed and smiled; and the boy put himself in the way, with a broad grin: and then the party walked on quickly.