illustrated the truth of this remark in her own
person. She considered Nicholas handsome, spirited, and amiable--indeed,
as an unusually fascinating and attractive boy. To others he was big,
overgrown, malicious, and stupid. But then mothers are apt to look
through different spectacles from the rest of the world.

"I guess Jasper'll want to change his guardian," said Thorne, laughing.
"You and he won't hitch horses very well."

"Don't use such a common expression, Nicholas. I want you to grow up a
well-bred gentleman."

"Oh, well, I mean to. But I say, if his father liked him so much, what
made him appoint you to take care of him?"

"He didn't know how I felt toward Jasper. I humored his fancies, and
treated him better than I felt toward him."

"Then you wanted to be his guardian?"

"Yes, I wanted to pay off old scores," said Mrs. Kent, again compressing
her lips with unpleasant firmness.

"What made you dislike him?" asked her son, with curiosity.

"He was opposed to my marriage. He would have stopped it if he could,
but there I got the better of him. When he found that he was too late he
treated me with coldness. He never liked me."

"By Jove! I don't think he's had much reason," said Nicholas, laughing
boisterously.

"He'll regret not having treated me with more attention. I can thwart
all his plans and make his life very uncomfortable."

"I'll trust you to do that, mother. You've got spunk enough."

"Don't say 'spunk,' Nicholas."

"What shall I say, then?"

"Resolution--firmness."

"It's all the same."

"There is a choice in words. Remember, my dear boy, I want you to be a
refined and cultivated gentleman."

"Well, I can be, now you're rich. But I say, mother, what are you going
to do? You ain't going to stick down in this dull place all your life,
are you?"

"No, Nicholas. In the summer we'll go travelling."

"Good!" exclaimed Nicholas, with satisfaction. "Where will we go?"

"How would you like to go to Niagara Falls?"

"Bully!"

"Or to Saratoga?"

"I don't know much about that."

"It is a fashionable place."

"Can a fellow have fun there?"

"Of course he can."

"Then I'd like to go. But I say, are you going to take Jasper, too?"

"No," said Mrs. Kent, decidedly. "I certainly shall not give him so much
pleasure."

"I don't know. I might like it better if I had a fellow of my own age to
go around with."

"You will find plenty of companions more agreeable than Jasper."

"A