ass the first prizes, had not a higher duty called him
to inferior labours previous to the public exhibition. Finding that
Willie had much spare time, he advised him to learn the French language,
which would prove useful to him--and offered to lend him such books as
he would need at the commencement.

Willie availed himself of his teacher's advice and his kind offer, and
began to study in good earnest. When he was at home in the evening, he
came into True's room, partly for the sake of quiet and partly for the
sake of being with Gerty, who was at the time occupied with her books.
Gerty had a strong desire to learn French too. Willie wished her to try,
but thought she would not persevere. But to his surprise, she discovered
a wonderful determination, and a decided talent for language; and as
Emily furnished her with books like Willie's, she kept pace with him,
oftentimes translating more during the week than he could find time to
do. On Saturday evening, when they had always had a fine study-time
together, True would sit on his old settle watching Willie and Gerty
side by side, at the table, with their eyes bent on the page, which to
him seemed a labyrinth. Gerty looked out the words with great skill,
her bright eyes diving, as if by magic, into the dictionary, and
transfixing the right word at a glance, while Willie's province was to
make sense. Almost the only occasion when True disturbed them was when
he heard Willie talk about making sense. "Making sense, Willie!" said
the old man; "is that what ye're after? Well, you couldn't do a better
business. I'll warrant you a market for it; there's want enough on't in
the world!"

It was but natural that, with Emily to advise and direct, and Willie to
aid and encourage, her intellect should rapidly expand and strengthen.
But how is it with that little heart of hers, that, at once warm and
affectionate, impulsive, sensitive, and passionate, now throbs with love
and gratitude, and now again burns as vehemently with the consuming fire
that a sense of wrong, a consciousness of injury to herself or her
friends, would at any moment enkindle? Has she, in two years of happy
childhood, learned self-control? Has she also attained to an enlightened
sense of the distinction between right and wrong, truth and falsehood?
In short, has Emily been true to her self-imposed trust, her high
resolve, to soften the heart and instruct the soul of the little
ignorant one? Has Gerty learned religio