oy goes on next, and then you're always losing your place, because it's
such a long time before it comes round to your turn, and then old Sibery
gives you the cane."

"Yes, yes; but go on," said Helen, with a feeling of despair concerning
her father's _protege_.

Dexter began to read in a forced, unnatural voice, with a high-pitched
unpleasant twang, and regardless of sense or stops--merely uttering the
words one after the other, and making them all of the same value.

At the end of the second line Helen's face was a study. At the end of
the fourth the doctor roared out--

"Stop! I cannot stand any more. Saw-sharpening or bag-pipes would be
pleasant symphonies in comparison."

At that moment Maria entered.

"Lunch is on the table, if you please, sir."

"Ah, yes, lunch," said the doctor. "Did you put a knife and fork for
Master Dexter?"

"For who, sir!" said Maria, staring.

"For Master Dexter here," said the doctor sharply. "Go and put them
directly."

Maria ran down to her little pantry, and then attacked Mrs Millett.

"Master's going mad, I think," she said. "Why, he's actually going to
have that boy at the table to lunch."

"Never!"

"It's a fact," cried Maria; "and I've come down for more knives and
forks."

"And you'd better make haste and get 'em, then," said the housekeeper;
"master's master, and he always will have his way."

Maria did make haste, and to her wonder and disgust Dexter was seated at
the doctor's table in his workhouse clothes, gazing wonderingly round at
everything: the plate, cruets, and sparkling glass taking up so much of
his attention that for the moment he forgot the viands.

The sight of a hot leg of lamb, however, when the cover was removed,
made him seize his knife and fork, and begin tapping with the handles on
either side of his plate.

"Errum!" coughed the doctor. "Put that knife and fork down, Dexter, and
wait."

The boy's hands went behind him directly, and there was silence till
Maria had left the room, when the doctor began to carve, and turned to
Helen--

"May I give you some lamb, my dear?"

"There, I knowed it was lamb," cried Dexter excitedly, "'cause it was so
little. We never had no lamb at the House."

"Hush!" said the doctor quietly. "You must not talk like that."

"All right."

"Nor yet like that, Dexter. Now, then, may I send you some lamb!"

"May I say anything?" said the boy so earnestly that Helen could not
contain her mirth, a