ing, when a week
had passed away. "It's wonderful." Helen smiled.

"A whole week, and the young dog's behaviour has been even better than I
could wish. Well, it's very hopeful, and I am extremely glad, Helen,
extremely glad."

Helen said nothing, but she thought a good deal, and, among other
things, she wondered how Dexter would have behaved if he had been left
to himself. Consequently, she felt less sanguine than the doctor.

The fact was that she had given up everything to devote the whole of her
time to the boy, thus taking care that he was hardly ever left to
himself.

She read to him, and made him read to her, and battled hard to get him
out of his schoolboy twang.

Taken by his bright, handsome face, and being clever with her brush, she
had made him sit while she painted his likeness; that is, she tried to
make him sit, but it was like dealing with so much quicksilver, and she
was fain to give up the task as an impossibility after scolding,
coaxing, and bribing, coming to the conclusion that the boy could not
keep still.

She played games with him; and at last risked public opinion very
bravely by taking the boy out with her for a walk, when one of the first
persons she met was Lady Danby.

"I say, what did she mean!" said Dexter, as they walked away.

"That lady--Lady Danby!"

"Yes. Why did she look sorry for me, and call me a _protege_?"

"Oh," said Helen, smiling; "it is only a French word for any one who is
adopted or protected, as papa is protecting you."

"But is it a funny word!"

"Funny? Oh dear no!"

"Then why did she laugh, curious like?"

Helen could not answer that question.

"She looked at me," said Dexter, "as if she didn't like me. I've seen
ladies look like that when they've come to see the schools, and us boy's
used to feel as if we'd like to throw slates at them."

"You have no occasion to trouble yourself about other people's opinions,
Dexter," said Helen quietly; "and of course now you couldn't throw
stones or anything else at a lady."

"No; but I could at a boy. I could hit that chap ever so far off. Him
as was with that Lady Danby."

"Oh, nonsense! come along; we'll go down by the river."

"Yes; come along," cried Dexter excitedly; "but I don't see why he
should sneer at me for nothing."

"What? Master Danby!"

"Yes, him. All the time you two were talking, he kept walking round me,
and making faces as if I was physic."

"You fancied it, Dexter."

"Oh