Dallas
touched upon, or natural science; the divisions of nations or the
harmonies of plants; Esther was ready, with her thoughtful, intent
eyes, taking in all he could give her; and not merely as a snatch-bite
of curiosity, but as the satisfaction of a good healthy mental appetite
for mental food.

Until to-day the young man had never concerned himself much about
Esther. Good nature had moved him to-day, when he saw the dullness that
had come over the child and recognised her forlorn solitude; and now he
began to be interested in the development of a nature he had never
known before. Young Dallas was a student of everything natural that
came in his way, but this was the first bit of human nature that had
consciously interested him. He thought it quite worth investigating a
little more.

CHAPTER IV.

_LEARNING_.

They had a most delightful walk. It was not quite the first they had
taken together; however, they had had none like this. They roved
through the meadows and over the low rocky heights and among the
copsewood, searching everywhere for flowers, and finding a good variety
of the dainty and delicate spring beauties. Columbine, most elegant,
stood in groups upon the rocks; _Hepatica_ hid under beds of dead
leaves; the slender _Uvularia_ was met with here and there; anemone and
bloodroot and wild geranium, and many another. And as they were
gathered, Dallas made Esther observe their various features and family
characteristics, and brought her away from Christopher's technical
phraseology to introduce her instead to the living and everlasting
relations of things. To this teaching the little girl presently lent a
very delighted ear, and brought, he could see, a quick wit and a keen
power of discrimination. It was one thing to call a delicate little
plant arbitrarily _Sanguinaria canadensis;_ it was another thing to
find it its place among the floral tribes, and recognise its kindred
and associations and family character.

On their way home, Dallas proposed that Esther should stop at his house
for a minute, and become a little familiar with the place where she was
to come to study Latin; and he led her in as he spoke.

The Dallases' house was the best in the village. Not handsome in its
exterior, which bore the same plain and somewhat clumsy character as
all the other buildings in its neighbourhood; but inside it was
spacious, and had a certain homely elegance. Rooms were large and
exceedingly comfort