SCHOOLDAYS 41 



autumn evening, in the study at Lilford, and 

 when it was over, and the child was restored to 

 the perpendicular position, he observed with 

 considerable sangfroid, ' It did not hurt much ; 

 there's a brown owl flying by.' 



Somewhere about his tenth year, my 

 brother was sent to Dr. Bickmore's school at 

 Berkswell, on the borders of Warwickshire. 

 This place was the scene of a pretty childish 

 idyll, which he often related in recent years to 

 his second wife. Walking by a wall one day, 

 over which strayed an apple bough bearing a 

 distractingly tempting burden of fruit, he raised 

 his hand towards it. ' 'Ain't your'n ! ' said a 

 voice above him, and, looking up, he saw a little 

 girl, clad in a blue frock, and dowered with red 

 hair and a freckled face. Perhaps the honest 

 eyes raised to hers convinced her that, however 

 suspicious the juxtaposition of hand and bough, 

 the owner of the former had no thievish inten- 

 tions. ' You may take one, if you like,' was the 

 next observation of the small, relenting dragon 

 of the golden pippins. The miller, who was 

 possessor alike of the freckle-faced little maiden 

 and the rosy-cheeked apples, came out on 



