e only thing that I am sure of is that I accomplished
nothing, absolutely nothing, less than nothing; but he had the
good taste not to growl at me, and in consequence I have an almost
affectionate remembrance of him.

During the extreme heat of the summer days it was my custom to study in
the yard; I took my ink-stained copy and lesson books and spread them
upon a table that stood in the summer house made shady by the vines and
honeysuckles that grew over it. And when I was nicely settled there
I felt that I might idle to my heart's content. From behind the
lattice-work, green with trellised vines, I kept a lookout in order
to see any danger that threatened in the distance. . . . I was always
careful to bring with me to this retreat a quantity of cherries and
grapes, whichever happened to be in season, and truly I could have
passed there hours of the most delicious reverie but for the remorse
that tormented me almost every moment, a remorse born of the fact that I
was not busying myself with my lessons.

Through the foliage I saw, close to me, the cool-looking pond with its
tiny grottoes which, since my brother's departure, I almost worshipped.
The little fountain in the centre stirred the waters and made the
sunlight that fell on its surface dance joyously; and the sun's rays
pierced the green verdure surrounding me--I seemed to be in the midst of
luminous water that quivered all about me with a ceaseless motion.

My arbor was a shady little retreat that gave me a complete illusion of
country; from the far side of the old wall came the song of the tropical
birds belonging to Antoinette's mother, and I heard the rollicking
warble and twitter of the swallows perched on the house-top, and the
chirp of the common sparrows as they flew about among the trees in the
garden.

Sometimes I would throw myself face-upward full length upon the green
bench that was there, and through the tasselled honeysuckle I had a view
of the white clouds as they sailed across the blue of the sky. There,
too, I was initiated into the habits of the mosquitos who all day long
poised themselves tremblingly, by means of their long legs, upon the
leaves. And often I concentrated all my attention upon the old wall
where the insects acted out their tragical drama: the cunning spider
would come suddenly from his nook and ensnare in his web the heedless
little insects,--with the aid of a straw, I was usually able to deliver
them from their peril.

I