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，“rejoinedTomtheuseoftheoldname，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。“