ssurance that his mother's roof was to be his home, might have made
him really dutiful.

On his way out he heard a sob, and, going into his mother's room, found
her on her knees weeping bitterly. Tenderly he wound his arms around
that weak mother, whom he loved with all the fervency of his young soul,
and his own tears mingled with hers. They were in this position when
Hugh Price, on his way to mount his horse, paused a single instant to
gaze on the scene, and then, muttering something about weakness of
women, added an oath and hurried from the house.

When he was gone, Dorothe rose from her knees and, clasping Robert in
her arms, cried:

"Oh, Robert, I heard it all!"

"Mother, I mean it!" he answered.

"No, no; for my sake, promise me you will not, Robert."

"Mother," said the boy, "my own father never struck me a blow. He who
had the right to punish me never found it necessary, and he shall not."

Dearly as Robert loved his mother, he would not yield to Hugh Price. He
would have suffered torture rather than caused his mother a single tear;
but to yield to the haughty cavalier was impossible.

Public schools were unknown in that day, and what little learning was
to be acquired was by private tutors. Sometimes Price talked of sending
the boy to England to school, more to get rid of him than from any real
desire to improve his mind. The mother objected to this. Then the
stepfather tried to effect a compromise by sending him to Harvard
College in Massachusetts, for he had relatives in Boston who might keep
an eye on the incorrigible youth; but the fond mother clung to her son,
and having a fair education herself, Robert and his sister, a pale
little creature, whose great dark eyes were like her mother's, became
pupils with the mother for teacher. She was an indulgent preceptress
and, for a short season, renounced the pleasures and follies grown so
dear to her heart, and devoted herself to the improvement of her
children's mind. Mrs. Price was so blind as to believe that it was her
husband's real interest in Robert's welfare that made him wish to send
the boy away. She soon found her labor as teacher irksome. She employed
a private tutor and again mingled with the lords and ladies, and became
one of the sparkling lights of Greensprings Manor.

Hugh Price was kind and indulgent to her. Her temperament suited his own
ideas of living, and but for the children they might have been happy.

It is possible that Mr. Pri