"Good!" echoed Frank, speaking bluntly in his eagerness; "I don't think you could find so good a scholar for his age. There's not one could come near him in the college school. At first he found it hard work. He had no one to explain difficult points for him, and was obliged to puzzle them out with his own brains. And it's that that has got him on." Mr. Glenn nodded. "Where a good foundation has been laid, a hard-working boy may get on better without a master than with one, provided----" "That is just what William says," interrupted Frank, his dark eyes sparkling with animation. "He would have given anything at one time to be at the college school with us; but he does not care about it now." "Provided his heart is in his work, I was about to add," said Mr. Glenn, smiling at Frank's eagerness. "Oh, of course, sir. And that's what William's is. He has such capital books, too--all the best that are published. They were papa's. I hardly know how I and Gar should get on, without William's help." "Does he help you?" "He has helped us ever since papa died; before we went to college, and since. We do algebra and Euclid with him." "In--deed!" exclaimed Mr. Glenn, looking hard at Frank. "When do you contrive to do all this?" "In the evening. Tea is over by half-past five, and we three--William, I, and Gar--turn at once to our lessons. In about two hours mamma joins us, and we work with her about two hours more. Of course we have different nights for different studies, Latin every night, Greek nearly every night, Euclid twice a week, algebra twice a week, and so on. And the lessons we do with mamma are portioned out; some one night, some another." "You must be very persevering boys," cried Mr. Glenn. "Do you never catch yourselves looking off to play; to talk and laugh?" "No, sir, never. We have got into the habit of sticking to our lessons; mamma brought us into it. And then, we are anxious to get on: half the battle lies in that." "I think it does. Philip, my boy, here's a lesson for you, and for all other lazy scapegraces." Philip shrugged his shoulders, with a laugh. "Papa, I don't see any good in working so hard." "Your friend Frank does." "We are obliged to work, sir," said Frank, candidly. "We have no money, and it is only by education that we can hope to get on. Mamma thinks it may turn out all for the best. She says that boys who expect money very often rely upon it and not upon themselves. She would rather turn us out into the world with our talents cultivated and a will to use them, than with a fortune apiece. There's not a parable in the Bible mamma is fonder of reading to us than that of the ten talents." "No fortune!" repeated Mr. Glenn in a dreamy tone.