He spoke with a seriousness that was above his years. To say the truth, Mr. Plantagenet's habits had almost reversed their relative places in the family. Dick was naturally conscientious, having fortunately inherited his moral characteristics rather from his mother's side than from his father's; and being thrown early into the position of assistant bread-winner and chief adviser to the family, he had grown grave before his time, and felt the weight of domestic cares already heavy upon his shoulders. As for Clarence, who had answered his father with scant respect, he never thought for a moment of disobeying the wishes of his elder brother. He took up the dog-eared Thucydides that had served them both in turn, and the old Liddell and Scott that was still common property, and began conning over the chapter set before him with conspicuous diligence. Dick looked on meanwhile with no little satisfaction, while Eleanor went on with her work, in her chair in the corner, vaguely conscious all the time of meriting his approbation. At last, just as they sat down to their frugal supper of bread and cheese and water--for by Dick's desire they were all, save one, teetotalers--Dick sprang a mine upon the assembled company by saying out all at once in a most matter-of-fact voice to his neighbour Clarry: 'No, I shan't be able to help you very much in future, I'm afraid--because, next week, I'm going up to Oxford--to try for a scholarship.' A profound spell of awed silence followed this abrupt disclosure of a long-formed plan. Mr. Plantagenet himself was the first to break it. He rose to the occasion. 'Well, I'm glad at least, my son,' he said, in his most grandiose manner, 'you propose to give yourself the education of a gentleman.' 'And therefore,' Dick continued, with a side-glance at Clarence, 'I shall need all my spare time for my own preparation.' CHAPTER III. DISCOUNTING IT. |Mrs. Plantagenet looked across the table at her son with vague eyes of misgiving. 'This is all very sudden, Dick,' she faltered out, not without some slight tremor. 'Sudden for you, dear mother,' Dick answered, taking her hand in his own; 'but not for me. Very much otherwise.. I've had it in my mind for a great many months; and _this_ is what decided me.' He drew from his pocket as he spoke a small scrap of newspaper and handed it across to her. It was a cutting from the _Times_. Mrs. Plantagenet read it through with swimming eyes. 'University Intelligence: Oxford.--Four Foundation Scholarships will be awarded after public examination at Durham College on May 20th. Two will be of the annual value of One Hundred Pounds, for Classics; one of the same value for Natural Science; and one for Modern History. Application to be made, on or before Wednesday, the 19th, to the Rev. the Dean, at Durham College, who will also supply all needful information to intending candidates.'