THE HAMPER FROM HOME. 177

Mertoun breathed more freely as he
laid down the letter. His mind was in
such a state of nervous excitement, that
he imagined everything, however remote-
ly connected with the subject of his fears,
would, in some unforeseen way, bring it
up again; and although his good sense
told him that his alarm was, in the pres-
ent instance, utterly unreasonable ; _ still
he was relieved when he was assured
that it was groundless, Taking up the
packet: “A half-sovereign, of course,” he
said, as he opened it; “papa does not in-
tend to give me a whole one, I know,
until I go to a public school; and that
will not be for another twelve month. It
does not feel like a half-sovereign, either.
Hah!” he exclaimed, with a scream, as
the parcel dropped from his hand, “ what
can this mean?” Walter looked up as

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