know
I like to encourage Vane, but I cannot help thinking sometimes that he
is too fond of useless schemes."

"Not useless, aunt."

"Well, then, schemes; and that it would be better if he kept more to his
Latin and Greek and mathematics with Mr Syme, and joining the other
pupils in their sports."

"Oh, he works hard enough at his studies," said the doctor.

"I'm very glad to hear you say so, my dear," said Aunt Hannah; "and as
to the rather unkind remark you made about the churn--"

"No, no, my dear, don't misunderstand me. I meant that people generally
prefer to keep to the old-fashioned ways of doing things."

"But, my dear," retorted Aunt Hannah, who had been put out that morning
by rebellious acts on the part of Martha, "you are as bad as anyone.
See how you threw away Vane's pen-holder that he invented, and in quite
a passion, too. I did think there was something in that, for it is very
tiresome to have to keep on dipping your pen in the ink when you have a
long letter to write."

"Oh, aunty, don't bring up that," said Vane, reproachfully.

But it was too late.

"Hang the thing!" cried the doctor, with a look of annoyance and
perplexity on his countenance; "that was enough to put anyone out of
temper. The idea was right enough, drawing the holder up full like a
syringe, but then you couldn't use it for fear of pressing it by
accident, and squirting the ink all over your paper, or on to your
clothes. 'Member my new shepherd's-plaid trousers, Vane?"

"Yes, uncle; it was very unfortunate. You didn't quite know how to
manage the holder. It wanted studying."

"Studying, boy! Who's going to learn to study a pen-holder.
Goose-quill's good enough for me. They don't want study."

Vane rubbed his ear, and looked furtively from one to the other, as Aunt
Hannah rose, and put away her work.

"No, my dear," she said, rather decisively; "I'm quite sure that Martha
would never approve of anyone meddling with her kitchen-boiler."

She left the room, and Vane sat staring at his uncle, who returned his
gaze with droll perplexity in his eyes.

"Aunt doesn't take to it, boy," said the doctor.

"No, uncle, and I had worked it out so thoroughly on paper," cried Vane.
"I'm sure it would have been a great success. You see you couldn't do
it anywhere, but you could here, because our greenhouse is all against
the kitchen wall. You know how well that rose grows because it feels
the heat from the fireplace throug