Come, cheer up, old boy--being sent isn't such a very frightful thing after all." "No" said Graham; "and besides, the bagging of the pigeons was only a lark, when one comes to think of it.

It wasn't like stealing, you know; _that_'d be quite a different thing." Eric winced visibly at this remark, but his companions did not notice it.

"Ah," thought he, "there's _one_ passage of my life which I never shall be able to reveal to any human soul." "Come now, Eric," said Wildney, "I've got something to propose.

You shall play cricket to-day; you haven't played for an age, and it's high time you should.

If you don't you'll go mooning about the shore all day, and that'll never do, for you'll come back glummer than ever." "No!" said Eric, with a heavy sigh, as the image of Vernon instantly passed through his mind; "no more cricket for me." "Nay, but you _must_ play to-day.