“At the best we have,” said Mr. Wickfield, considering, “your nephew couldn’t board just now.”

“But he could board somewhere else, I suppose?” suggested my aunt.

Mr. Wickfield thought I could. After a little discussion, he proposed to take my aunt to the school, that she might see it and judge for herself; also, to take her, with the same object, to two or three houses where he thought I could be boarded. My aunt embracing the proposal, we were all three going out together, when he stopped and said:

“Our little friend here might have some motive, perhaps, for objecting to the arrangements. I think we had better leave him behind?”