at liberty for a little
play, or half an hour of pleasant reading; or, in the winter evenings,
for a dance to the music of his violin. Little Harry had been known to
be kept up far too late, that he might hear the violin, and that his
papa might enjoy the fun of seeing him run about among the rest, putting
them all out, and fancying he was dancing. All believed there would be
time for play with papa to-night, tea had been so much earlier than
usual. But Agnes soon feared there would be no play for Hugh. Though
Jane pored over her German, twisting her forefinger in the particular
curl which she always twisted when she was deep in her lessons; though
Agnes rocked herself on her chair, as she always did when she was
learning by heart; and though Mrs. Proctor kept Harry quiet at the other
end of the room with telling him long stories, in a very low voice,
about the elephant and Brighton pier, in the picture-book, Hugh could
not learn his capital cities. He even spoke out twice, and stopped
himself when he saw all the heads in the room raised in surprise. Then
he set himself to work again, and he said "Copenhagen" so often over
that he was not likely to forget the word; but what country it belonged
to he could not fix in his mind, though Agnes wrote it down large on the
slate, in hopes that the sight of the letters would help him to
remember. Before he had got on to "Constantinople," the well-known sound
was heard of the shop-boy taking the shop-shutters out of their
day-place, and Mr. Proctor would certainly be coming presently. Jane
closed her dictionary, and shook back her curls from over her eyes; Mrs.
Proctor put down Harry from her lap, and let him call for papa as loud
as he would; and papa came bustling in, and gave Harry a long toss, and
several topplings over his shoulder, and yet Hugh was not ready.

"Come, children," said Mr. Proctor to Agnes and Hugh, "we have all done
enough for to-day. Away with books and slates!"

"But, papa," said Agnes, "Hugh has not quite done. If he might have just
five minutes more, Miss Harold----"

"Never mind what Miss Harold says! That is, you girls must; but between
this and Michaelmas----"

He stopped short, and the girls saw that it was a sign from their mother
that made him do so. He immediately proceeded to make so much noise with
Harry, that Hugh discovered nothing more than that he might put away his
books, and not mind Miss Harold this time. If she asked him to-morrow
wh