n of the circumstances, describing
her face and style, repeating her pretty English.

My father nodded: he thought I exaggerated that foreign English of hers;
but, as I said, I was new to it and noticed it. He admitted the greater
keenness of attention awakened by novelty.

'Only,' said he, 'I rather wonder--' and here he smiled at me
inquiringly. ''Tis true,' he added, 'a boy of fourteen or fifteen--ay,
Richie, have your fun out. A youngster saw the comic side of her. Do you
know, that child has a remarkable character? Her disposition is totally
unfathomable. You are a deep reader of English poetry, I hope; she
adores it, and the English Navy. She informed me that if she had been
the English people she would have made Nelson king. The Royal family
of England might see objections to that, I told her. Cries she:
"Oh! anything for a sea-hero." You will find these young princes and
princesses astonishingly revolutionary when they entertain brains. Now
at present, just at present, an English naval officer, and a poet, stand
higher in the esteem of that young Princess Ottilia than dukes, kings,
or emperors. So you have seen her!' my father ejaculated musingly, and
hummed, and said: 'By the way, we must be careful not to offend
our grandpapa Beltham, Richie. Good acres--good anchorage; good
coffers--good harbourage. Regarding poetry, my dear boy, you ought to
be writing it, for I do--the diversion of leisure hours, impromptus.
In poetry, I would scorn anything but impromptus. I was saying, Richie,
that if tremendous misfortune withholds from you your legitimate
prestige, you must have the substantial element. 'Tis your springboard
to vault by, and cushions on the other side if you make a miss and fall.
'Tis the essence if you have not the odour.'

I followed my father's meaning as the shadow of a bird follows it in
sunlight; it made no stronger an impression than a flying shadow on the
grass; still I could verify subsequently that I had penetrated him--I
had caught the outline of his meaning--though I was little accustomed
to his manner of communicating his ideas: I had no notion of what he
touched on with the words, prestige, essence, and odour.

My efforts to gather the reason for his having left me neglected at
school were fruitless. 'Business, business! sad necessity! hurry,
worry-the-hounds!' was his nearest approach to an explicit answer; and
seeing I grieved his kind eyes, I abstained. Nor did I like to defend
Mr.