Mr Tooke, and Mrs Watson, and Firth shook hands with Hugh, and said they should be glad to see him back again: and Mr Tooke added that some of the boys should visit him pretty often till the breaking-up. Nobody else was allowed to come quite near; but the boys clustered at that side of the playground, to see as much as they could. Hugh waved his hand; and every boy saw it; and in a moment every hat and cap was off, and the boys gave three cheers,--the loudest that had ever been heard at Crofton. The most surprising thing was that Mr Tooke cheered, and Mr Shaw too. The men looked as if they would have liked to set down the litter, and cheer too: but they did not quite do that. They only smiled as if they were pleased. There was one person besides who did not cheer. Tooke stood apart from the other boys, looking very sad. As the litter went down the by-road, he began to walk away; but Hugh begged the men to stop, and called to Tooke. Tooke turned: and when Hugh beckoned, he forgot all about bounds, leaped the paling, and came running. Hugh said,-- "I have been wanting to see you so! But I did not like to ask for you particularly." "I wish I had known that." "Come and see me,--do," said Hugh. "Come the very first, wont you?" "If I may." "Oh, you may, I know." "Well, I will, thank you. Good-bye." And on went the litter, with Mrs Proctor and Mr Shaw walking beside it. The motion did not hurt Hugh at all; and he was so warmly wrapped up, and the day so fine, that he was almost sorry when the two miles were over. And yet there was Agnes out upon the steps; and she sat beside him on the sofa in his cheerful room, and told him that she had nothing to do but to wait on him, and play with him. She did not tell him yet that she must learn directly to nurse him, and, with her aunt's help, fill her mother's place, because her mother was much wanted at home: but this was in truth one chief reason for her coming. Though there was now really nothing the matter with Hugh--though he ate, drank, slept, and gained strength--his mother would not leave him till she saw him well able to go about.