“I don’t want you to overdo it, either. You cannot make a muscular
Christian of him.” (The speaker smiled at his own imagined wit.) “The boy
has talents, and I want him to use them.”
“I will do my best for him both ways,” answered Hugh, “if you will trust
me. For my part, I think the only way is to make the operation of the
intellectual tendency on the one side, reveal to the boy himself his
deficiency on the other. This once done, all will be well.”
As he said this, Hugh caught sight of a cloudy, inscrutable
dissatisfaction slightly contracting the eyebrows of the lady. Mr. Arnold,
however, seemed not to be altogether displeased.
“Well,” he answered, “I have my plans; but let us see first what you can
do with yours. If they fail, perhaps you will oblige me by trying mine.”
This was said with the decisive politeness of one who is accustomed to
have his own way, and fully intends to have it—every word as
articulate and deliberate as organs of speech could make it. But he seemed
at the same time somewhat impressed by Hugh, and not unwilling to yield.
Throughout the conversation, the lady had said nothing, but had sat
watching, or rather scrutinizing, Hugh’s countenance, with a far keener
and more frequent glance than, I presume, he was at all aware of. Whether
or not she was satisfied with her conclusions, she allowed no sign to
disclose; but, breakfast being over, rose and withdrew, turning, however,
at the door, and saying:
“When you please, Mr. Sutherland, I shall be glad to show you what Harry
has been doing with me; for till now I have been his only tutor.”
“Thank you,” replied Hugh; “but for some time we shall be quite
independent of school-books. Perhaps we may require none at all. He can
read, I presume, fairly well?”
“Reading is not only his forte but his fault,” replied Mr. Arnold; while
Euphra, fixing one more piercing look upon him, withdrew.
“Yes,” responded Hugh; “but a boy may shuffle through a book very quickly,
and have no such accurate perceptions of even the mere words, as to be
able to read aloud intelligibly.”
How little this applied to Harry, Hugh was soon to learn.
“Well, you know best about these things, I daresay. I leave it to you.
With such testimonials as you have, Mr. Sutherland, I can hardly be wrong
in letting you try your own plans with him. Now, I must bid you good
morning. You will, in all probability, find Harry in the library.”
CHAPTER II. HARRY’S NEW HORSE.
Spielender Unterricht heisst nicht, dem Kinde Anstrengungen ersparen und
abnehmen, sondern eine Leidenschaft in ihm erwecken, welche ihm die
stärksten aufnöthigt und erleichtert.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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