very middle of it, and said she knew he would be a good boy
before the gentleman from the country.

Hugh would not go in with Agnes, because he knew Mr Tooke would shake
hands with her, and take notice of anyone who was with her. He waited
in the passage till Susan carried in the fish, when he entered behind
her, and slipped to the window till the party took their seats, when he
hoped Mr Tooke would not observe who sat between Agnes and his father.
But the very first thing his father did was to pull his head back by the
hair behind, and ask him whether he had persuaded Mr Tooke to tell him
all about the Crofton boys.

Hugh did not wish to make any answer; but his father said "Eh?" and he
thought he must speak; so he said that Phil had told him all he wanted
to know about the Crofton boys.

"Then you can get Mr Tooke to tell you about Phil, if you want nothing
else," said Mr Proctor.

Mr Tooke nodded and smiled; but Hugh began to hand plates with all his
might, he was so afraid that the next thing would be a question how much
four times seven was.

The dinner went on, however; and the fish was eaten, and the meat, and
the pudding; and the dessert was on the table, without any one having
even alluded to the multiplication-table. Before this time, Hugh had
become quite at his ease, and had looked at Mr Tooke till he knew his
face quite well.

Soon after dinner Mr Proctor was called away upon business; and Hugh
slipped into his father's arm-chair, and crossed one leg over the other
knee, as he leaned back at his leisure, listening to Mr Tooke's
conversation with his mother about the sort of education that he
considered most fit for some boys from India, who had only a certain
time to devote to school-learning. In the course of this conversation
some curious things dropped about the curiosity of children from India
about some things very common here;--their wonder at snow and ice, their
delight at being able to slide in the winter, and their curiosity about
the harvest and gleaning, now approaching. Mr Proctor came back just
as Mr Tooke was telling of the annual holiday of the boys at
harvest-time, when they gleaned for the poor of the village. As Hugh
had never seen a corn-field, he had no very clear idea of harvest and
gleaning; and he wanted to hear all he could. When obliged to turn out
of the arm-chair, he drew a stool between his mother and Mr Tooke: and
presently he was leaning on his arms on the table,