"
"That's not his fault," said Mrs. Penhallow, "he's afraid of horses."
"Afraid!" said her husband. "By George! afraid of horses."
"He speaks French perfectly," said Mark Rivers.
"He can't swim. I got that out of Leila. I understand he tried it once
and gave it up."
"But his mother made him, James. You know Susan. She was as timid as a
house-fly for herself, and I suppose for him."
"I asked him," said Rivers, "if he knew any Latin. He answered me in
Latin and told me that at Budapest where he was long at school the boys
had to speak Latin."
"And the rest, Rivers. Is he well up in mathematics?"
"No, he finds that difficult. But, upon my word, Squire, he is the most
doggedly persistent fellow I have ever had to teach and I handled many
boys when I was younger. I can take care of my side of the boy."
"He can skate, James," said Mrs. Ann.
"Yes, so I hear. I suppose that under Leila's care and a good out-of-door
life he will drop his girl-ways--but--"
"But what, James?"
"Oh! he has been taught that there is no shame in failure, no disgrace in
being afraid."
"How do you know he is afraid, my dear James?"
"Oh! I know." Leila's unwillingness to talk had given him some suspicion
of the truth. "Well, we shall see. He needs some rough boy-company.
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