them."

"Well, let us see them."

"Sure they're locked."

"Open them," said the impatient boy.

"Do open them," added Nellie timidly.

But it required much coaxing to accomplish their design, and after
nurse did consent time was lost in looking for the keys, which were at
last found under a china bowl in the cupboard. Then the old woman led
the way with much importance, opening door after door of the unused
part of the house, until she came to the library. It was a large,
sober-looking room, with worn furniture and carpet, but rich in
literature, and even art, for several fine pictures hung on the
walls. The ancestor from whom the house had descended must have been
a learned man in his day, and a wise, for he had gathered about him
treasures. Danby shouted with delight, and Nellie's eyes sparkled as
she saw his pleasure.

"Open all the windows, nurse, please, and then leave us. Why, Nellie,
there is enough learning here to make you the most wonderful woman in
the world! Do you think you can get all these books into your head?"
he asked mischievously, "because that is what I expect of you. We will
take a big one to begin with." The girl looked on while he, with mock
ceremony, took down the largest volume within reach and laid it open
on a reading-desk near. "Now sit;" and he drew a chair for her before
the open book, and another for himself. "It is nice big print. Do you
see this word?" and he pointed to one of the first at the top of the
page.

She nodded her head gravely.

"It is _love_: say it."

She repeated the word after him.

"Now find it all over the page whereever it occurs."

With some mistakes she finally succeeded in recognizing the word
again.

"Don't you forget it."

"Yes."

"No, you must _not_."

"I mean I won't."

"All right! Here is another: it is called _the_. Now find it."

Many times she went through the same process. In his pride of teaching
Danby did not let his pupil flag. When he was going she asked timidly,
"Shall you come again?"

"Of course I shall, Ignoramus, but don't you forget your lesson."

"No, no," she answered brightening. "I will think of it all the time I
am asleep."

"That is a good girl," he said patronizingly, and bade her good-bye.

It was thus she learned to read, not remarkably well, but well enough
to content Danby, which was sufficient to content Nellie also; and the
ambitious boy was not satisfied until she could write as well.

An end came to