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"Hours and hours, sir, I walked up and down the garden with it, and then I took the book up with me into my loft, and made a chalk triangle on the floor, and kept on saying it over and over, but as fast as I said it the words slipped out of my head again. I can't help it, sir, I am so stupid." "Algebra!" said Mr Limpney, in a tone of angry disgust. "Am I not to try and say the Euclid, sir?"
"But if you were, Mr Limpney would not have cause to complain. It's too bad, Dexter, too bad. Do you know why Mr Limpney comes here?" "Yes, sir," said the boy dismally; "to teach me." "And you do not take advantage of his teaching. This is very serious. Very sad indeed."
Dexter hesitated, and shifted one foot over the other. "Well, sir, I am waiting," cried Mr Limpney, in a tone of voice which made Dexter think very much resembled that of Mr Sibery when he was angry. "Don't hesitate, sir. Have I not told you again and again that a gentleman never hesitates, but speaks out at once? Now then, I ask you how you arrived at this wonderful conclusion?"
For the old effervescence consequent upon his having been kept down so long was passing off, and a complete change seemed to be coming over the boy. Quicksilver by George Manville Fenn "Now, Master Grayson," said Mr Limpney, "what am I to say to the doctor!"
The lessons Mr Limpney had given him to write out were not done; but he had better stop and face him, and every other trouble, including the window he had broken, and never owned to yet. It was impossible to go away and leave everybody who was so kind. A harsh word would have kept him to the point; but now he wavered as he sat down on the edge of his bed, with his mind in a whirl.
This went on for some minutes, so that there was a fair show upon the paper, when the door softly opened, Helen peered in, and then coming behind him bent down, and, in a very gentle and sisterly way, placed her hands over his eyes. "Why, my poor hard-working boy," she said gently. "So this is where you are; and, oh dear, oh dear! Euclid again. That Mr Limpney will wear your brains all away.
"Very awkward of that stupid fellow Limpney," he said, as he began running down the advertisements. "What did he say, papa, when you spoke to him?" "Say? Lot of stuff about losing prestige with his other pupils. Was sure Lady Danby did not like him to be teaching a boy of Dexter's class and her son. Confound his impudence! Must have a tutor for the boy of some kind."
"I mean too wet and slippery, sir, so that they will not hold what I put into them." The doctor looked at the tutor, and the tutor looked at the doctor, as if he considered that this was impertinence. "I am very sorry very sorry indeed, Dexter," said the doctor. "There, sir, you can go now. I will have a talk to Mr Limpney. We must see if we cannot bring you to a better frame of mind."
"Yes, Mr Limpney is your private tutor now; and he is coming every day, so I hope you will be very industrious, and try hard to learn." "Oh yes, I'll try. Mr Limpney; I don't think he much liked me, though." "Nonsense, Dexter; you should not think such things." "All right. I won't then. It will be like going to school again, won't it?" "Much pleasanter, I hope."
Mr Limpney was talking, and Mr Limpney, being accustomed to lecture and teach, spoke very loudly, so that Dexter heard him say "I must have more authority, sir, and " Dexter heard no more, for he fled into the garden, but he knew that having authority meant the same as it meant with Mr Sibery, and it sounded like going backwards. He felt more miserable as he went out into the garden.
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