word, and to see how each word depended
upon the others, so that even if absolutely in ignorance of the meaning
of any one word in a sentence, he could nevertheless parse them
unerringly in the order in which they would be rendered in
English--could determine the value of each, and their bearing upon one
another.

This was quite a revelation to Harry; his face flushed with eagerness
and excitement, and so interested were both lads in their work, that the
hour was far exceeded before the lesson came to an end by Mrs. Holl
interfering bodily in the matter by carrying off the Dictionary, and
declaring that it was a shame that Harry should give so much trouble.

"It is no trouble at all, Mrs. Holl," Frank said, laughing. "You see one
is accustomed a little to teaching, as one often gives one's fag, or any
other little chap who asks, a construe, or explains his lesson to him.
But I can tell you that there are precious few of them who take it all
in as quickly as your son does. Now that I have made myself at home, I
will come in sometimes when school begins again, if you will let me, for
half an hour and read with Harry. But I don't think he will want any
help long. Still, it may help to show him the regular way of getting at
things. And now I must hurry off. You will ask Evan to think over what I
have said. Here is my address. I wrote it down in case I should find no
one in. If he makes up his mind about it before I come again, he had
better call on me there; the best time would be between nine and eleven
in the morning; I have always finished breakfast by nine, and I have put
off my holiday task so long, that I must stick at it regularly two hours
a day till school begins again, so he will be pretty sure to find me
between nine and eleven. Will you tell your husband not to worry himself
about seeing me? I don't want to be thanked, for it was, as I told you,
a sort of partnership business between your boy and me."

"Now I call that a downright nice sort of young chap," Mrs. Holl said,
as their visitor departed, "good-hearted and good-natured, without no
sort of nonsense. He just sits himself down and makes himself at home
as if he was one of the family, and I was able to go on with my washing
just as if he hadn't been here."

For a time Harry did not answer.

"So, that's a gentleman," he said at last, in a low voice, as if
thinking aloud; "I have never spoken to a gentleman before."

"Well, lad," Sarah Holl said, "the