ogress is made. There is only one
explanation, sir, and that is want of diligence."

"Dear me! dear me! dear me!" exclaimed the doctor. "Now, Dexter, what
have you to say?"

"Nothing, sir!" said the boy sadly; "only I think sometimes that my
brains must be too wet."

"Good gracious! boy: what do you mean!"

"I mean too wet and slippery, sir, so that they will not hold what I put
into them."

The doctor looked at the tutor, and the tutor looked at the doctor, as
if he considered that this was impertinence.

"I am very sorry--very sorry indeed, Dexter," said the doctor. "There,
sir, you can go now. I will have a talk to Mr Limpney. We must see if
we cannot bring you to a better frame of mind."

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE.

DEXTER'S DUMB FRIENDS.

Dexter went out into the hall feeling exceedingly miserable, for he had
left the occupants of the study talking about him, and, as the saying
goes, it made his ears burn. "I couldn't help it," he said dolefully:
"I did try. I'll go and tell Miss Grayson all about it, and ask her to
take my part."

He went into the drawing-room, but Helen was not there, so he ran
upstairs, and was in the act of tapping at her bedroom door, when Maria
came out of another room.

It was a curious fact, but there it was: Dexter always had the effect
upon Maria that a dog has upon a cat. The dog may be of the most
amiable disposition, and without the slightest desire to fight or worry,
but as soon as he is seen, up goes the cat's back in an arch, the tail
becomes plumose and the fur horrent, while, with dilated eyes and
displayed teeth glistening, puss indulges in the bad language peculiar
to cats.

Maria being of a different physique did not display these signs of
aggression exactly, but she invariably became vicious and metaphysically
showed her teeth.

"It's of no use your knocking there, Master Dexter. Miss Helen isn't at
home, and I'm quite sure if she was that she wouldn't approve of your
trapesing up out of the garden in your muddy and dirty shoes. I've got
enough to do here without cleaning up after you."

"But I haven't been in the garden, Maria," said Dexter, apologetically.
"I have just come out of the study."

"Don't I tell you she ain't at home," said Maria spitefully.

"Do you know when she will be back!"

"No, I don't," said Maria, and then sarcastically: "I beg your pardon,
_sir_--no I don't, _sir_."

Maria went along the passage like a roaring wind, she