hand pressed against his forehead, as if in pain; but Coleman was nowhere to be seen. "Where is Coleman ?" exclaimed I.

"There is some one clinging to the boat still," observed a bystander.

I looked anxiously in the direction indicated, and perceived the boat floating bottom upwards, just beyond the line of breakers; while, clinging to the keel, was a figure which I instantly recognized to be that of Coleman. "Oh, save him, save him; he will be

drowned," cried I, in an agony of fear.

"Ten guineas for any one who will get him out," shouted Lawless; but nobody seemed inclined to stir.

"Give me a rope," cried I, seizing the end of a coil which one of the boatmen had over his shoulder, and tying it round my waist. "What are you going to do?" asked Lawless.

While he spoke a large wave separated Coleman from the boat, and as it poured its huge volume upon the beach, bore him along with it. With the swiftness of thought I sprang forward, and succeeded in throwing my arms round him, ere the next advancing wave dashed over us. And now my foresight in fastening the rope around me, proved, under Providence, the means of saving both our lives. Though thrown to the ground by the force of the water, I contrived to retain my grasp of Coleman, and we were hauled up, and conveyed beyond the reach of the surf, by the strong arms of those on shore, ere another wave could approach to claim its victims.

On recovering my consciousness, (I had been partially stunned by the violence of my last fall,) I found myself lying on the beach, with my head resting on the breast of Oaklands.

"My dear, dear Frank, thank God that you are safe!" exclaimed he, pressing me more closely to him.

"What of Coleman ?" asked I, endeavouring to raise myself.

"They are taking him to the inn," was the reply; "I will go and see if I can be of any use, now I know you are unhurt; but I could not leave you till I felt sure of that."

แ

'I fancied you seemed in pain just now,” said I.

"I struck my head against some part of the boat when she capsized," returned Oaklands, "and the blow stunned me for a minute or two, so that I knew nothing of what was going on till I saw you rush into the water to save Coleman; that roused me effectually, and I helped them to pull you both out. Frank, you have saved his life."

"If it is saved," rejoined I. "Let us go and see how he is getting

on;

arm."

I think I can walk now, if you will let me lean upon your

With the assistance of Oaklands, I contrived to reach the inn without much difficulty; indeed, by the time I got there (the walk having served in great measure to restore my circulation), I scarcely felt any ill effects from my late exertions. The inn presented a rare scene of confusion: people were hurrying in and out, the messenger sent for the doctor had just returned, breathless, to say he was not to be found; the fat landlady, in a state of the greatest excitement, was trotting about making impracticable suggestions, to which no one paid the slightest attention, while Coleman, still insensible, lay wrapped in blankets before a blazing fire in the parlour, with the pretty bar-maid on her knees beside him sobbing piteously, as she chafed his temples with some strong essence.

“That's the time of day!" exclaimed Lawless, as his eye fell upon a printed card which the landlady had just thrust into his hand, headed, "The directions of the Humane Society for the restoration of persons apparently drowned." "We shall have it now, all right," added he, and then read as follows:-"The first observation we must make, which is most important, is, that rolling the body on a tub"

"Bring a tub," cried the landlady, eagerly, and off started several of the bystanders to follow her injunctions—

"Is most injurious," continued Lawless; "but holding up by the legs with the head downwards"-(a party of volunteers, commanded by the landlady, rushed forward to obtain possession of Coleman's legs)" is certain death," shouted Lawless, concluding the sentence.

While this was going on, I had been rubbing Coleman's hands between my own, in the hope of restoring circulation; and now, to my extreme delight, I perceived a slight pulsation at the wrist; next came a deep sigh, followed by a tremulous motion of the limbs; and, before five minutes were over, he was sufficiently restored to sit up, and recognize those about him. After this, his recovery progressed with such rapidity, that ere half an hour had elapsed, he was able to listen with interest to Oaklands' account of the circumstances attending his rescue, when Lawless, hastily entering the room, exclaimed—“ Here's a slice of good luck, at all events; there's a postchaise just stopped, returning to Helmstone, and the boy agrees to take us all for a shilling a head, as soon as he has done watering his horses. How is Freddy getting on?—will he be able to go?"

"All right, old fellow," replied Coleman. "Thanks to Fairlegh

in the first instance, and a stiff glass of brandy-and-water in the second, 'Richard's himself again!'"

"Well, you've had a near shave for it this time, however," said Lawless; "there is more truth than I was aware of in the old proverb, 'If you are born to be hanged, you will never be drowned;' though, if it had not been for Frank Fairlegh, you would not have lived to fulfil your destiny."

In another ten minutes we were all packed in and about the postchaise; Coleman, Oaklands, and myself occupying the interior, while Lawless and Mullins rode outside. The promise of an extra halfcrown induced the driver to use his best speed. At a quarter before five we were within a stone's throw of home; and if that day at dinner Mrs. Mildman observed the pale looks and jaded appearance of some of the party, I have every reason to believe she has remained up to the present hour in total ignorance as to their cause.

CHAPTER XII.

DEATH AND CHANGE.

The voice which I did more esteem
Than music on her sweetest key;
Those eyes which unto me did seem
More comfortable than the day;
Those now by me, as they have been,
Shall never more be heard or seen;
But what I once enjoyed in them,
Shall seem hereafter as a dream.

"All earthly comforts vanish thus;
So little hold of them have we;
That we from them, or they from us,
May in a moment ravished be.
Yet we are neither just nor wise

If present mercies we despise,

Or mind not how these may be made

A thankful use of what we had."-Wither.

"Up springs at every step to claim a tear,

Some youthful friendship form'd and cherish'd here."—Rogers.

"Time flies away fast!

The while we never remember

How soon our life here

Grows old with the year

That dies with the next December."-Herrick.

As I was undressing that night, Coleman came into my room, and grasping my hand with his own, shook it warmly, saying, "I could not go to sleep, Frank, without coming to thank you for the noble way in which you risked your own life to save mine to-day. I laughed it off before Lawless and the rest of the fellows, for when I feel deeply, I hate to show it; but indeed, (and the tears stood in his eyes while he spoke,) indeed I am not ungrateful."

"My dear Freddy," returned I, "do not suppose I thought you so for a moment; there, say no more about it; you would have done the same thing for me that I did for you, had our positions been reversed."

"I am not so sure of that," was his reply; "I should have wished to do so; but it is not every one who can act with such promptitude and decision in moments of danger."

"There is one request I should like to make,” said I. "What is it?" replied he, quickly.

"Do not forget to thank Him, whose instrument I was, for having so mercifully preserved your life.”

A silent pressure of the hand was the only answer, and we parted

for the night.

Owing, probably, to over-fatigue, it was some little time before I went to sleep. As I lay courting the fickle goddess (or god as the case may be, for, mythologically speaking, I believe Somnus was a he), I could not help contrasting my present feelings with those which I experienced on the first night of my arrival. Then, overcome by the novelty of my situation, filled with a lively dread of my tutor, bullied and despised by my companions, and separated for what I deemed an interminable period from all who were dear to me, my position was far from an enviable one. Now, how different was the aspect of affairs! With my tutor, who, from an object of dread, had become one of esteem and affection, I had every reason to believe myself a favourite; I was on terms of the closest friendship with those of my companions whose intimacy was best worth cultivating; while with the others I had gained a standing which would effectually prevent their ever venturing seriously to annoy me; and, above all, I had acquired that degree of selfconfidence, without which one is alike impotent to choose the good or to refuse the evil. And it was with an honest pride that I reflected, that this improvement in my position was mainly owing to a steady adherence to those principles, which it had been the constant aim of my dear parents to instil into me from my childhood. I fell asleep at last, endeavouring to picture to myself the delight of relating my adventures on my return home; how my mother and sister would shudder over the dangers I had escaped, while my father would applaud the spirit which had carried me through them. The vision was a bright and happy one: would it ever be realized? surprise, we learned the next morning that Dr. Mildman had arrived by the last coach the previous evening, having fortunately met with Cumberland's uncle at his house of business in town, and delivered his nephew into his safe custody without further loss of time. The breakfast passed over without the Doctor making any inquiry how we had amused ourselves during his absence, nor, as may easily be believed, did we volunteer information on the subject. On returning to the pupils' room, I found a letter, in my sister's hand-writing, lying on the table. With a feeling of dread,

To our