"It's well, at all events," interrupted Mr Allfrey, "that you admit the
fact of your having neglected it. That gives you some chance of
amendment."

Frank flushed again and drew his breath shortly; after a moment's
silence he went on:--

"But if I am not fit for much, I am certainly fit for something. I have
only a smattering of Latin and Greek, it is true, and a very slight
knowledge of French, but, if I am to believe my teacher's reports, I am
not a bad arithmetician, and I know a good deal of mathematics, besides
being a pretty fair penman."

"Humph! well, but you know you have said that you don't want to enter a
mercantile or engineer's office, and a smattering of Latin and Greek
will not do for the learned professions. What, therefore, do you
propose to yourself, the army, eh? it is the only opening left, because
you are now too old for the navy."

"I wish to be an artist," said Frank with some firmness.

"I thought so; the old story. No, sir, you shall never be an artist--at
least not with my consent. Why, do you suppose that because you can
scribble caricatures on the fly-leaves of your books you have
necessarily the genius of Rubens or Titian?"

"Not quite," replied Frank, smiling in spite of himself at the
irascibility of the old gentleman, "and yet I presume that Rubens and
Titian began to paint before either themselves or others were aware of
the fact that they possessed any genius at all."

"Tut, tut," cried Mr Allfrey impatiently, "but what have you ever done,
boy, to show your ability to paint?"

"I have studied much, uncle," said Frank eagerly, "although I have said
little to you about the matter, knowing your objection to it; but if you
would condescend to look at a few of my drawings from nature, I think--"

"Drawing from nature," cried Mr Allfrey with a look of supreme
contempt, "what do _I_ care for nature? What have _you_ to do with
nature in this nineteenth century? Nature, sir, is only fit for
savages. There is nothing natural now-a-days. Why, what do you suppose
would become of my ledger and cash-book, my office and business, if I
and my clerks raved about nature as you do? A fig for nature!--the less
you study it the better. _I_ never do."

"Excuse me, sir," said Frank respectfully, "if I refuse to believe you,
because I have heard you frequently express to friends your admiration
of the view from your own drawing-room window--"

"Of course you have, you goose, and you