or three boys as
boarders; he could not take many, because his house was small and
inconvenient. We shall know more of Mr. Evans when we have read the few
next pages.

"Mr. Low's living was a very good one, and brought in much money. The
house too was good, and he kept several servants, and lived
handsomely. He had had four children, but two of them were dead. Mr.
Low had but one daughter, her name was Lucilla; and the two eldest were
sons, Alfred and Henry. Henry died a baby, but Alfred lived till he was
eight years old, and then died, and was buried by the side of his
infant brother. The fourth and last child of Mr. and Mrs. Low was
Bernard; he was more than five years younger than Lucilla.

"When Bernard was born, it seemed as if no one could make too much of
him. The old woman, Susan Berkley, who had been Mr. Low's own nurse,
and had always lived in the family, was so fond of Bernard that she
could not refuse him anything; and Mrs. Low was what people call so
wrapped up in her boy, that she could never make enough of him. In this
respect she was very weak, but those who have lost children well know
how strong the temptation is to over-indulge those who are left. At
first Mr. Low did not observe how far these plans of indulgence were
being carried; indeed, he did not open his eyes fully to the mischief
till Bernard was become one of the most troublesome, selfish boys in
the whole valley. At five years old he was the torment of the whole
house, though even then he was cunning enough to hide some of his worst
tempers from his father. He had found out that when he pretended to be
ill, mother, nurse, and sister were all frightened out of their senses,
and that at such times he could get his way in everything, however
improper. He did not care what pain he gave them if he could get what
he wanted.

"His father, however, did at length find out the mischief that was
going on; and as he feared that his wife and nurse would not have the
firmness to check the boy if he remained always at home, he proposed
that Bernard should be sent as a day boarder to Mr. Evans. His father
wished that he should go every morning after breakfast, dine at school,
and return to tea.

"'I have been much to blame,' said Mr. Low, 'in not speaking before of
the way in which Bernard has been managed. I blame myself greatly for
this neglect, and I now feel that no more time must be lost; and I
think it will be easier for us to part with him for a