hworm.'

'Oh, don't!' said Esther. 'I remember they do; and they haven't nice
eyes either, Pitt. But little turkeys have.'

Dallas burst out laughing.

'Well, just think,' Esther persisted. 'Think of horses' beautiful eyes;
and then think of a tiger.'

'Or a cat,' said Dallas.

'But why is it, Pitt?'

'Queen Esther, my knowledge, such as it is, is all at your majesty's
service; but the information required lies not therein.'

'Well, isn't it true, what I said?'

'I am inclined to think, and will frankly admit, that there is
something in it.'

'Then don't you think there must be a _real_ difference, to make them
look so different? and that I wasn't wrong when I called the owl cruel!'

'The study of animal psychology, so far as I know, has never been
carried into a system. Meanwhile, suppose we come from what I cannot
teach, to what I can? Here's a Latin grammar for you.'

Esther came to his side immediately, and listened with grave attention
to his explanations and directions.

'And you want me to learn these declensions?'

'It is a necessary preliminary to learning Latin.'

Esther took the book with a very awakened and contented face; then put
a sudden irrelevant question. 'Pitt, why didn't you tell Mrs. Dallas
what you were going to teach me?'

The young man looked at her, somewhat amused, but not immediately ready
with an answer.

'Wouldn't she like you to give me lessons?'

'I never asked her,' he answered gravely.

Esther looked at him, inquiring and uncertain.

'I never asked her whether I might take lessons from your father,
either.'

'No, of course not; but'--

'But what?'

'I don't know. I don't want to do it if she would not like it.'

'Why shouldn't she like it? She has nothing to do with it. It is I who
am going to give you the lessons, not she. And now for a lesson in
botany.'

He brought out a quantity of his dried flowers, beautifully preserved
and arranged; and showed Esther one or two groups of plants, giving her
various initiatory instruction by the way. It was a most delightful
half hour to the little girl; and she went home after it, with her
Latin grammar in her hands, very much aroused and wakened up and
cheered from her dull condition of despondency; just what Pitt had
intended.

CHAPTER V.

_CONTAMINATION_.

The lessons went on, and the interest on both sides knew no flagging.
Dallas had begun by way of experiment, and he was quite contented with
his