ce. There was nothing commanding, and
nothing gracious, about Mr. Dallas. His figure was rather small, and
his manner insignificant. He was not a handsome man, either, although
he may be said to have but just missed it, for his features were
certainly good; but he did miss it. Nobody spoke in praise of Mr.
Dallas's appearance. Yet his face showed sense; his eyes were shrewd,
if they were also cold; and the mouth was good; but the man's whole air
was unsympathetic. It was courteous enough; and he was careful and
particular in his dress. Indeed, Mr. Dallas was careful of all that
belonged to him. He wore long English whiskers of sandy hair, the head
crop being very thin and kept very close.

'Hildebrand,' said Mrs. Dallas when the sound of her son's footsteps
had died away, 'when are you going to send Pitt to college?'

Mr. Dallas turned another page of his newspaper, and did not hurry his
answer.

'Why?'

'And _where_ are you going to send him?'

'Really,' said Mr. Dallas, without ceasing his contemplation of the
page before him, 'I do not know. I have not considered the matter
lately.'

'Do you remember he is eighteen?'

'I thought you were not ready to let him go yet?'

Mrs. Dallas stopped her embroidery and sighed.

'But he must go, husband.'

Mr. Dallas made no answer. He seemed not to find the question pressing.
Mrs. Dallas sat looking at him now, neglecting her work.

'You have got to make up your mind to it, and so have I,' she went on
presently. 'He is ready for college. All this pottering over the
classics with Colonel Gainsborough doesn't amount to anything. It keeps
him out of idleness,--if Pitt ever could be idle,--but he has got to go
to college after all, sooner or later. He must go!' she repeated with
another sigh.

'No special hurry, that I see.'

'What's gained by delay? He's eighteen. That's long enough for him to
have lived in a place like this. If I had my way, Hildebrand, I should
send him to England.'

'England!' Mr. Dallas put down his paper now and looked at his wife.
What had got into her head?

'Oxford is better than the things they call colleges in this country.'

'Yes; but it is farther off.'

'That's not a bad thing, in some respects. Hildebrand, you don't want
Pitt to be formed upon the model of things in this country. You would
not have him get radical ideas, or Puritanical.'

'Not much danger!'

'I don't know.'

'Who's to put them in his head? Gainsborough is n