retting myself to mere skin
and bone?" said he, with a glance of condolence over his portly figure.
"But what could I do? I was forced to come out here for the education of
the children bother it for education! but it ruins everybody nowadays.
When I was a boy, reading and writing, with a trifle of figures, was
enough for any one. If you could tell what twenty bullocks cost, at two
pounds four-and-sixpence a beast, and what was the price of a score of
hoggets, at fifteen shillings a head, and wrote your name and address
in a good round hand, 'twas seldom you needed more; but now you have to
learn everything, ay, sorrow bit, but it 's learning the way to do what
every one knows by nature; riding, dancing, no, but even walking, I 'm
told, they teach too! Then there's French you must learn for talking!
and Italian to sing! and German, upon my soul, I believe it's to snore
in! and what with music, dancing, and drawing, everybody is brought up
like a play-actor."

"There is, as you remark, far too much display in modern education, Mr.
Dalton; but you would seem fortunate enough to have avoided the error. A
young lady whose genius can accomplish such a work as this--"

"'Tis one of Nelly's, sure enough," said he, looking at the group to
which she pointed, but feeling even more shame than pride in the avowal.

The sound of voices a very unusual noise from the door without, now
broke in upon the conversation, and Andy's cracked treble could be
distinctly heard in loud altercation.

"Nelly! Kitty! I say," cried Dalton, "see what's the matter with that
old devil. There's something come over him to-day, I think, for he won't
be quiet for two minutes together."

Kate accordingly hastened to discover the cause of a tumult in which now
the sound of laughter mingled.

As we, however, enjoy the prerogative of knowing the facts before they
could reach her, we may as well inform the reader that Andy, whose
intelligence seemed to have been preternaturally awakened by the sight
of an attorney, had been struck by seeing two strangers enter the
house-door and leisurely ascend the stairs. At such a moment, and with
his weak brain filled with its latest impression, the old man at once
set them down as bailiffs come to arrest his master. He hobbled after
them, therefore, as well as he could, and just reached the landing as
Mr. Jekyl, with his friend Onslow, had arrived at the door.

"Mr. Dalton lives here, I believe?" said Jekyl.

"Ana