Camilla; or, A Picture of Youth — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
Camilla; or, A Picture of Youth
John Stuart Mill · en
'Ah! no, my dear brother,' he answered; 'if I don't succeed this way, I
am sure I shall succeed no other; for as to pains, I could not have
taken more if I had been afraid to be flogged once a-day: and that
gentleman has done all he can, too, as far as I know to the contrary.
But I really think whatever's the meaning of it, there's some people
can't learn.'
Then, shaking his head, he added, in a low voice: 'To say the truth, I
might as well have given it up from the very first, for any great
comfort I found in it, if it had not been for fear of hurting that
gentleman; however, don't let the poor gentleman know that; for I've no
right to turn him off upon nothing, merely for the fault of my having no
head, which how can he help?'
Mr. Tyrold agreed in the justice of this reflection, and undertook to
deliberate upon some conciliatory expedient.
Sir Hugh heartily thanked him; 'But only in the mean time that you are
thinking,' cried he, 'how shall I bring it about to stop him from coming
to me with all those books for my study? For, do you know, my dear
brother, because I asked him to buy me one for my beginning, he sent for
a full score? And when he comes to me about my lesson, he brings them
all upon me together: which is one thing, for ought I know, that helps
to confuse me; for I am wondering all the while when I shall get through
with them. However, say nothing of all this before the poor gentleman,
for fear he should take it as a hint; which might put him out of heart:
for which reason I'd rather take another lesson, Lord help me!--than vex
him.'
Mr. Tyrold promised his best consideration, and to see him again the
next morning. But he had hardly left Cleves ten minutes, when a man and
horse came galloping after him, with a petition that he would return
without delay.
The baronet received him with a countenance renovated with
self-complacency. 'I won't trouble you,' he cried, 'to think any more;
for now I have got a plan of my own, which I will tell you. Not to throw
this good gentleman entirely away, I intend having a sort of a kind of
school set up here in my sick room, and so to let all my nephews come,
and say their tasks to him in my hearing; and then, who knows but I may
pick up a little amongst them myself, without all this hard study?'
Mr. Tyrold stated the obvious objections to so wild a scheme; but he
besought him not to oppose it, as there was no other way for him to get
rid of his tutoring, without sending off Dr. Orkborne. He desired,
therefore, that Lionel might come instantly to Cleves; saying, 'I shall
write myself to Eton, by the means of the Doctor, to tell the Master I
shall take Clermont entirely home after the next holidays, for the sake
of having him study under my own eye.'
He then entreated him to prepare Dr. Orkborne for his new avocation.