selves, and so learn very little of
the language and nothing of the people. It is unfortunate that it should
be so; but they are not altogether to blame, for, as I have said, the
Russians, although friendly enough with Englishmen in business, in the
club, and so on, do not as a rule invite them to their houses; and
therefore the English, especially the class I am speaking of, are almost
forced to associate entirely with each other and form a sort of colony
quite apart from native society. I was fortunate enough to make some
acquaintances among them soon after I went out, and your mother and I
were much more in Russian society than is usual with our countrymen
there. I found great advantage from it, and shall be glad for you to do
the same. You will have one very great advantage, that you will be able
to speak Russian fluently in a short time."

"I don't think I remember much about it now, father."

"I dare say not, Godfrey; that is to say, you know it, but you have lost
a good deal of the facility of speaking it. You have always got on
fairly enough with it when we have spoken it occasionally during your
holidays since we have been in England, and in a very few weeks you will
find that it has completely come back to you. You spoke it as you did
English, indeed better, when you came over to school when you were ten,
and in six years one does not forget a language. If you had been another
five or six years older, no doubt you would have lost it a good deal;
but even then you would have learnt it very much more quickly than you
would have done had you never spoken it. Your mother and the girls have
been grumbling at me a good deal for sending you away so soon."

"It is horrid, father," Hilda said. "We have always looked forward so to
Godfrey's coming home; and of course it would be better still as he got
older. We could have gone about everywhere with him; and we shall miss
him especially when we go away in summer."

"Well, you must make the most of him this time then," her father said.

"Have you settled where we are going?" Godfrey asked.

"No, we would not settle until you came home, Godfrey," Mrs. Bullen
said. "As this was to be your last holiday we thought we would give you
the choice."

"Then I vote for some quiet sea-side place, mother. We went to
Switzerland last year, and as I am going abroad for ever so long I would
rather stop at home now; and, besides, I would rather be quiet with you
all, instead of alw