“Father, if you’ll begin your breakfast, I’ll sit by and tell you.” He looked at her, stirred his tea and took two or three gulps, then cut at his piece of hot steak with his case-knife, and said, eating:

“Now then. What’s gone with that boy?”

“Don’t be angry, dear. It seems, father, that he has quite a gift of learning.”

“Unnat’ral young beggar!” said the parent, shaking his knife in the air.

“And that having this gift, and not being equally good at other things, he has made shift to get some schooling.”

“Unnat’ral young beggar!” said the parent again, with his former action.