l stay and talk to you, if you don't mind," said Norah,
seating herself on an oak stool by the fire, and holding out a thin,
brown hand to shade her face from the blaze. "I'm very fond of talking
when I get to know people a little bit. Raymond told us that you were
reading at home to prepare for college, and that you didn't like it. I
suppose that is why you are tired of books. I wish I were in your
place! I'd give anything to go to a town, and get on with my studies,
but I have to stay at home and learn from a governess. Wouldn't it be
nice if we could change places? Then we should both be pleased, and get
what we liked."

The young fellow gave a laugh of amusement. "I don't think I should
care for the governess," he said, "though she seems awfully kind and
jolly, if she is the lady who looked after me last night. I've had
enough lessons to last me for the rest of my life, and I want to get to
work, but my father is bent on having a clever son, and can't make up
his mind to be disappointed."

"And aren't you clever? I don't think you look exactly stupid!" said
Norah, so innocently, that Rex burst into a hearty laugh.

"Oh, I hope I'm not so bad as that. I am what is called `intelligent,'
don't you know, but I shall never make a scholar, and it is waste of
time and money to send me to college. It is not in me. I am not fond
of staying in the house and poring over books and papers. I couldn't be
a doctor and spend my life in sick-rooms; the law would drive me crazy,
and I could as soon jump over a mountain as write two new sermons a
week. I want to go abroad--to India or Ceylon, or one of those places--
and get into a berth where I can be all day walking about in the open
air, and looking after the natives."

"Oh, I see. You don't like to work yourself, but you feel that it is
`in you' to make other people exert themselves! You would like to have
a lot of poor coolies under you, and order them about from morning till
night--that's what you mean. I think you must be very lazy to talk like
that!" said Norah, nodding her head in such a meaning fashion that the
young fellow flushed in embarrassment.

"Indeed, I'm nothing of the kind. I am very energetic--in my own way.
There are all sorts of gifts, and everyone knows which one has fallen to
his share. It's stupid to pretend that you don't, I know I am not
intellectual, but I also know that I have a natural gift of management.
At school I had the arra