now to be asked how much four
times seven was. But Mr Tooke only shook hands with him, and bade him
grow older as fast as he could.

CHAPTER TWO.

WHY MR TOOKE CAME.

After tea the young people had to learn their lessons for the next day.
They always tried to get these done, and the books put away, before Mr
Proctor came in on his shop being shut, and the business of the day
being finished. He liked to find his children at liberty for a little
play, or half an hour of pleasant reading; or, in the winter evenings,
for a dance to the music of his violin. Little Harry had been known to
be kept up far too late, that he might hear the violin, and that his
papa might enjoy the fun of seeing him run about among the rest, putting
them all out, and fancying he was dancing. All believed there would be
time for play with papa to-night, tea had been so much earlier than
usual. But Agnes soon feared there would be no play for Hugh. Though
Jane pored over her German, twisting her forefinger in the particular
curl which she always twisted when she was deep in her lessons; though
Agnes rocked herself on her chair, as she always did when she was
learning by heart; and though Mrs Proctor kept Harry quiet at the other
end of the room with telling him long stories, in a very low voice,
about the elephant and Brighton pier, in the picture-book, Hugh could
not learn his capital cities. He even spoke out twice, and stopped
himself when he saw all the heads in the room raised in surprise. Then
he set himself to work again, and he said "Copenhagen" so often over
that he was not likely to forget the word; but what country it belonged
to he could not fix in his mind, though Agnes wrote it down large on the
slate, in hopes that the sight of the letters would help him to
remember. Before he had got on to "Constantinople," the well-known
sound was heard of the shop-boy taking the shop-shutters out of their
day-place, and Mr Proctor would certainly be coming presently. Jane
closed her dictionary, and shook back her curls from over her eyes; Mrs
Proctor put down Harry from her lap, and let him call for papa as loud
as he would; and papa came bustling in, and gave Harry a long toss, and
several topplings over his shoulder, and yet Hugh was not ready.

"Come, children," said Mr Proctor to Agnes and Hugh, "we have all done
enough for to-day. Away with books and slates!"

"But, papa," said Agnes, "Hugh has not quite done. If he might