Itwaseveningwhenthehousekeepersummonedhimtothesick-
room。Arthurwaslyingonthesofabytheopenwindow，throughwhichtheraysofthewesternsunstolegently，lightinguphiswhitefaceandgoldenhair。TomrememberedaGermanpictureofanangelwhichheknew；oftenhadhethoughthowtransparentandgoldenandspirit-likeitwas；andheshuddered，tothinkhowlikeitArthurlooked，andfeltashockasifhisbloodhadallstoppedshort，asherealizedhowneartheotherworldhisfriendmusthavebeentolooklikethat。Nevertillthatmomenthadhefelthowhislittlechumhadtwinedhimselfroundhisheart-strings，andashestolegentlyacrosstheroomandkneltdown，andputhisarmroundArthur’sheadonthepillow，feltashamedandhalf-angryathisownredandbrownface，andtheboundingsenseofhealthandpowerwhichfilledeveryfibreofhisbody，andmadeeverymovementofmerelivingajoytohim。
Heneedn’thavetroubledhimself:itwasthisverystrengthandpowersodifferentfromhisownwhichdrewArthursotohim。
Arthurlaidhisthin，whitehand，onwhichtheblueveinsstoodoutsoplainly，onTom’sgreatbrownfist，andsmiledathim；
andthenlookedoutofthewindowagain，asifhecouldn’tbeartoloseamomentofthesunset，intothetopsofthegreatfeatheryelms，roundwhichtherookswerecirclingandclanging，returninginflocksfromtheirevening’sforagingparties。Theelmsrustled，thesparrowsintheivyjustoutsidethewindowchirpedandflutteredabout，quarrelling，andmakingitupagain；therooks，youngandold，talkedinchorus，andthemerryshoutsoftheboysandthesweetclickofthecricket-batscameupcheerilyfrombelow。
“DearGeorge，“saidTom，“Iamsogladtobeletuptoseeyouatlast。I’vetriedhardtocomesooften，buttheywouldn’tletmebefore。“
“Oh，Iknow，Tom；Maryhastoldmeeverydayaboutyou，andhowshewasobligedtomaketheDoctorspeaktoyoutokeepyouaway。I’mverygladyoudidn’tgetup，foryoumighthavecaughtit；andyoucouldn’tstandbeingill，withallthematchesgoingon。Andyou’reintheeleven，too，Ihear。I’msoglad。“
“Yes；ain’titjolly？“saidTomproudly。“I’mninthtoo。I
madefortyatthelastpie-match，andcaughtthreefellowsout。
SoIwasputinaboveJonesandTucker。Tucker’ssosavage，forhewasheadofthetwenty-two。“
“Well，Ithinkyououghttobehigheryet，“saidArthur，whowasasjealousfortherenownofTomingamesasTomwasforhisasascholar。
“Nevermind。Idon’tcareaboutcricketoranythingnowyou’regettingwell，Geordie；andIshouldn’thavehurt，Iknow，ifthey’dhaveletmecomeup。Nothinghurtsme。Butyou’llgetaboutnowdirectly，won’tyou？Youwon’tbelievehowcleanI’vekeptthestudy。Allyourthingsarejustasyouleftthem；andIfeedtheoldmagpiejustwhenyouused，thoughIhavetocomeinfrombig-sideforhim，theoldrip。Hewon’tlookpleasedallIcando，andstickshisheadfirstononesideandthenontheother，andblinksatmebeforehe’llbegintoeat，tillI’mhalfinclinedtoboxhisears。AndwheneverEastcomesin，youshouldseehimhopofftothewindow，dotandgoone，thoughHarrywouldn’ttouchafeatherofhimnow。“
Arthurlaughed。“OldGraveyhasagoodmemory；hecan’tforgetthesiegesofpoorMartin’sdeninoldtimes。“Hepausedamoment，andthenwenton:“Youcan’tthinkhowoftenI’vebeenthinkingofoldMartinsinceI’vebeenill。Isupposeone’smindgetsrestless，andlikestowanderofftostrange，unknownplaces。Iwonderwhatqueernewpetstheoldboyhasgot。Howhemustberevellinginthethousandnewbirds，beasts，andfishes！“
Tomfeltapangofjealousy，butkickeditoutinamoment。
“FancyhimonaSouthSeaisland，withtheCherokees，orPatagonians，orsomesuchwildniggers！“(Tom’sethnologyandgeographywerefaulty，butsufficientforhisneeds。)“They’llmaketheoldMadmancockmedicine-man，andtattoohimallover。
Perhapshe’scuttingaboutnowallblue，andhasasquawandawigwam。He’llimprovetheirboomerangs，andbeabletothrowthemtoo，withouthavingoldThomassentafterhimbytheDoctortotakethemaway。“
Arthurlaughedattheremembranceoftheboomerangstory，butthenlookedgraveagain，andsaid，“He’llconvertalltheisland，Iknow。“
“Yes，ifhedon’tblowitupfirst。“
“Doyouremember，Tom，howyouandEastusedtolaughathimandchaffhim，becausehesaidhewassuretherooksallhadcalling-overorprayers，orsomethingofthesort，whenthelocking-upbellrang？Well，Ideclare，“saidArthur，lookingupseriouslyintoTom’slaughingeyes，“Idothinkhewasright。
SinceI’vebeenlyinghere，I’vewatchedthemeverynight；and，doyouknow，theyreallydocomeandperch，allofthem，justaboutlocking-uptime；andthenfirstthere’saregularchorusofcaws；andthentheystopabit，andoneoldfellow，orperhapstwoorthreeindifferenttrees，cawsolos；andthenofftheyallgoagain，flutteringaboutandcawinganyhowtilltheyroost。“
“Iwonderiftheoldblackiesdotalk，“saidTom，lookingupatthem。“HowtheymustabusemeandEast，andprayfortheDoctorforstoppingtheslinging！“
“There！look，look！“criedArthur；“don’tyouseetheoldfellowwithoutatailcomingup？Martinusedtocallhimthe’clerk。’
Hecan’tsteerhimself。Youneversawsuchfunasheisinahighwind，whenhecan’tsteerhimselfhome，andgetscarriedrightpastthetrees，andhastobearupagainandagainbeforehecanperch。“
Thelocking-upbellbegantotoll，andthetwoboysweresilent，andlistenedtoit。ThesoundsooncarriedTomofftotheriverandthewoods，andhebegantogooverinhismindthemanyoccasionsonwhichhehadheardthattollcomingfaintlydownthebreeze，andhadtopackhisrodinahurryandmakearunforit，togetinbeforethegateswereshut。HewasrousedwithastartfromhismemoriesbyArthur’svoice，gentleandweakfromhislateillness。
“Tom，willyoubeangryifItalktoyouveryseriously？“
“No，dearoldboy，notI。Butain’tyoufaint，Arthur，orill？
WhatcanIgetyou？Don’tsayanythingtohurtyourselfnow——
youareveryweak；letmecomeupagain。“
“No，no；Ishan’thurtmyself。I’dsoonerspeaktoyounow，ifyoudon’tmind。I’veaskedMarytotelltheDoctorthatyouarewithme，soyouneedn’tgodowntocalling-over；andImayn’thaveanotherchance，forIshallmostlikelyhavetogohomeforchangeofairtogetwell，andmayn’tcomebackthishalf。“
“Oh，doyouthinkyoumustgoawaybeforetheendofthehalf？
I’msosorry。It’smorethanfiveweeksyettotheholidays，andallthefifth-formexaminationandhalfthecricket-matchestocomeyet。AndwhatshallIdoallthattimealoneinourstudy？
Why，Arthur，itwillbemorethantwelveweeksbeforeIseeyouagain。Oh，hangit，Ican’tstandthat！Besideswho’stokeepmeuptoworkingattheexaminationbooks？Ishallcomeoutbottomoftheform，assureaseggsiseggs。“
Tomwasrattlingon，halfinjoke，halfinearnest，forhewantedtogetArthuroutofhisseriousvein，thinkingitwoulddohimharm；butArthurbrokein，-
“Oh，please，Tom，stop，oryou’lldriveallIhadtosayoutofmyhead。AndI’malreadyhorriblyafraidI’mgoingtomakeyouangry。“
“Don’tgammon，youngun，“rejoinedTom(theuseoftheoldname，deartohimfromoldrecollections，madeArthurstartandsmileandfeelquitehappy)；“youknowyouain’tafraid，andyou’venevermademeangrysincethefirstmonthwechummedtogether。
NowI’mgoingtobequitesoberforaquarterofanhour，whichismorethanIamonceinayear；somakethemostofit；heaveahead，andpitchintomerightandleft。“
“DearTom，Iain’tgoingtopitchintoyou，“saidArthurpiteously；“anditseemssocockyinmetobeadvisingyou，who’vebeenmybackboneeversinceI’vebeenatRugby，andhavemadetheschoolaparadisetome。Ah，IseeIshallneverdoit，unlessIgoheadoverheelsatonce，asyousaidwhenyoutaughtmetoswim。Tom，Iwantyoutogiveupusingvulgus-
booksandcribs。“
Arthursankbackontohispillowwithasigh，asiftheefforthadbeengreat；buttheworstwasnowover，andhelookedstraightatTom，whowasevidentlytakenaback。Heleanthiselbowsonhisknees，andstuckhishandsintohishair，whistledaverseof“BillyTaylor，“andthenwasquitesilentforanotherminute。Notashadecrossedhisface，buthewasclearlypuzzled。Atlasthelookedup，andcaughtArthur’sanxiouslook，tookhishand，andsaidsimply，-
“Why，youngun？“
“Becauseyou’rethehonestestboyinRugby，andthatain’thonest。“
“Idon’tseethat。“
“WhatwereyousenttoRugbyfor？“
“Well，Idon’tknowexactly——nobodyevertoldme。IsupposebecauseallboysaresenttoapublicschoolinEngland。“
“Butwhatdoyouthinkyourself？Whatdoyouwanttodohere，andtocarryaway？“
Tomthoughtaminute。“IwanttobeA1atcricketandfootball，andalltheothergames，andtomakemyhandskeepmyheadagainstanyfellow，loutorgentleman。IwanttogetintothesixthbeforeIleave，andtopleasetheDoctor；andIwanttocarryawayjustasmuchLatinandGreekaswilltakemethroughOxfordrespectably。There，now，youngun；Ineverthoughtofitbefore，butthat’sprettymuchaboutmyfigure。Ain’titallonthesquare？Whathaveyougottosaytothat？“
“Why，thatyouareprettysuretodoallthatyouwant，then。“
“Well，Ihopeso。Butyou’veforgotonething——whatIwanttoleavebehindme。Iwanttoleavebehindme，“saidTom，speakingslow，andlookingmuchmoved，“thenameofafellowwhoneverbulliedalittleboy，orturnedhisbackonabigone。“
