"Yes, ma'am. I will return at once."
"You said that tip-top," said Dab, the moment they were on the sidewalk; "but I can't guess what she means. Ham Morris made all the bargain for you when he settled for me. S'pose it's all right, though."
"Course it is. I's got to work out half my board a-doin' chores. Jes' wot I's been used to all my life."
Frank Harley had seen a great many people, considering how young he was; and he had done less talking than the rest, that morning, and more "studying" of his landlady and her daughter. The results of it came out now.
"Tell you what, boys: if I'm not mistaken, Dick Lee'll pay more for his board than we will for ours."
"I don't care," said Dick bravely. "It's wuff a good deal to feed a boy like me."
His mother had told him so, many a time; and in that matter "Glorianna" had not been so far from the truth.
Ham Morris had indeed made a careful and particular bargain for Dick, and that his duties about the house should not interfere with his studies. He had done more; for he had insisted on buying Dick's text-books for him, and had made him promise to write to him about the way things went at Grantley.
Up the street marched the four new boys, still a little slowly, until
Ford broke out into a sudden word of encouragement,—
"Look here, boys, we're a set of wooden-heads! I'd like to know if we need be afraid of any thing Joe and Fuz Hart could go through?"