to Harry.

"He thinks himself a little god," he would often mutter to himself.
"I would give a good deal to have him for three months at Westminster.
Wouldn't he get his conceit and nonsense knocked out of him!"

At the same time he was always scrupulously polite and courteous to
his English companion--much too polite, indeed, to please Harry.
He had good qualities too: he was generous with his money, and
if during their rides a woman came up with a tale of distress he
was always ready to assist her. He was clever, and Harry, to his
surprise, found that his knowledge of Latin was far beyond his own,
and that Ernest could construct passages with the greatest ease
which altogether puzzled him. He was a splendid rider, and could
keep his seat with ease and grace on the most fiery animals in his
father's stables.

When they went out with their guns Harry felt his inferiority
keenly. Not only was Ernest an excellent shot, but at the end of
a long day's sport he would come in apparently fresh and untired,
while Harry, although bodily far the most powerful, would be
completely done up; and at gymnastic exercises he could do with
ease feats which Harry could at first not even attempt. In this
respect, however, the English lad in three months' time was able
to rival him. His disgust at finding himself so easily beaten by a
French boy nerved him to the greatest exertions, and his muscles,
practised in all sorts of games, soon adapted themselves to the
new exercises.

Harry picked up French very rapidly. The absolute necessity there was
to express himself in that language caused him to make a progress
which surprised himself, and at the end of three months he was able
to converse with little difficulty, and having learned it entirely
by ear he spoke with a fair accent and pronunciation. M. du Tillet,
who was the principal instructor of the boys in their outdoor
exercises, took much pains to assist him in his French, and helped
him on in every way in his power.

In the evening there were dancing lessons, and although very far
from exhibiting the stately grace with which Ernest could perform
the minuet or other courtly dances then in fashion, Harry came
in time to perform his part fairly. Two hours were spent in the
evening in the salon. This part of the day Harry at first found the
most tedious; but as soon as he began to speak fluently the marquis
addressed most of his conversation to him, asking him questions
about the