her day that you often seem to hear of things before other people,
though you do talk so little."

"It is, perhaps, because I am not always talking that I do hear. But
Mrs. O'Connor is not likely to think of that," said the Major, rather
severely.

He was neither blind nor deaf in reference to Miss Perry, and she was
dismissed. Aunt Theresa rather dreaded Mrs. Minchin's indignation in the
matter, I believe; but needlessly, for Miss Perry and Mrs. Minchin
quarrelled about this time, and Mrs. Minchin had then so much
information to Miss Perry's disadvantage at her fingers' ends, that it
seemed wonderful that she should ever have recommended her.

For some little time our education progressed in a very desultory
fashion. Major Buller became perversely prejudiced against governesses,
and for a short time undertook to carry on our English lessons himself.
He made sums amusing, and geography lessons "as good as stories," though
the latter so often led (by very interesting channels) to his dearly
beloved insects, that Mrs. Buller accused him of making our lessons an
excuse for getting out his "collection."

With "grammar" we were less successful. Major Buller was so good a
teacher that he brought out what intelligence we possessed, and led us
constantly to ask questions about anything we failed to understand. In
arithmetic this led to his helping us over our difficulties; in
geography it led, sooner or later, to the "collection"; but in English
grammar it led to stumbling-blocks and confusion, and, finally, to the
Major's throwing the book across the room, and refusing to pursue that
part of our education any further.

"I never learnt English grammar," said the Major, "and it's quite
evident that I can't teach it."

"If _you_ don't know grammar, Papa, then _we_ needn't," said Matilda
promptly, and being neat of disposition, she picked up the book and
proceeded to put it away.

"I never said that I didn't know grammar," said the Major; "I fancy I
can speak and write grammatically, but what I know I got from the Latin
grammar. And, upon my soul," added Uncle Buller, pulling at his heavy
moustache, "I don't know why you shouldn't do the same."

The idea of learning Latin pleased us greatly, and Major Buller (who had
been at Charterhouse in his boyhood) bought a copy of Dr. Russell's
_Grammar_, and we set to work. And either because the rules of the Latin
grammar bore explanation better than the English ones, or because M