“First day” at school is pretty safe to be a peace-day also; and none of the wordy collisions went too far, although it was plain that the new-comers had not yet attained any high degree of popularity.

After supper Dick Lee set off for Dr. Brandegee’s, and his friends attended him nearly to the gate.

They would have been glad to have had a report of his visit from him, on his return; but he had his “chores” to do then, and any amount of careful instruction concerning them to receive from Mrs. Myers and Almira.

The other three were more thoroughly tired out than they had at all expected, and were all quite ready to agree with Frank Harley,—­

“We’d better get to bed, boys.  I want to see if this is a good house to sleep in.”

“Sleep?” said Ford.  “I could go to sleep in an omnibus.”

Early to bed meant early to rise, necessarily; and they were all up and dressed the next morning, when Dick Lee slipped in on them.  Before they had time to ask him a question, he exclaimed,—­

“I say, Cap’n Dab, is you goin’ to church dis mornin’?”

“Of course.  We’re all going.”

“So I heerd Mrs. Myers tell Miss Almiry.  She’s goin’ to take you along wid her when she goes.”

“Richard,” said Ford, “are you going?”

“Habn’t heerd a word about dat.”

“Don’t you go back on your friends, Richard.  Be all ready in time, sure’s you live, and go with us, or I’ll complain to Dr. Brandegee.”

Dick’s grin was a wide one; but he responded,—­

“I’ll be ready.  See ’f I ain’t.”

The voice of Almira, calling his name at the foot of the stairs, prevented any further conversation just then; and Dick found, afterwards, that he had undertaken a task of some difficulty.  He hardly knew when or where he squeezed out the time for the proper polishing of his shoes, or the due arrangement of his magnificent red necktie; but both feats were accomplished most faithfully.

The subject of church-going came up again, incidentally, at the breakfast-table; and the remarks of her young boarders met the emphatic approval of Mrs. Myers and her daughter.  Perhaps because neither of them had been near enough, after Dick dodged out of their room at the end of his early call, to hear Dabney Kinzer remark,—­

“Ford, don’t you think we can find our way across the green without any help from the ladies?”

“I am pondering that matter.  What do you say, Frank?”

“We must get out of it if we can politely.  I don’t just see how we’ll do it.”

“Do it?  Why, we’ll all wait for Dick Lee.”

Mrs. Myers took a little too much for granted; and when the hour came for starting, there came a slight disturbance in the smooth current of her calculations.

“Mr. Foster,” she called out, in her best voice, from half way up the stairs, “the first bell is ringing.  Are you and your friends ready?”