Malcolm said, in a quiet, determined
manner:

"You know the conditions, Lewie, on which you leave this room: they will
not change, if we remain here together till to-morrow morning. This
lesson must be learned and recited perfectly, before you taste any
food."

Lewie murmured that "there was one good thing--his teacher would have to
fast too."

"As for me, I never take but two meals a day," said Mr. Malcolm; "I can
wait till five o'clock very well for my dinner; and should I be very
hungry, your mother will doubtless give me something to eat."

Through most of the afternoon, Lewie sat scrawling figures with his
pencil on some paper which was lying near, and really beginning to
suffer from the "keen demands of appetite." After sitting thus an hour
or two, he suddenly said:

"Give me the book, then, if there is no other way! I can learn that
lesson in five minutes, if I have a mind."

"I know that, Lewie," said his tutor; "no one can learn quicker or
better than you, when you choose; but you cannot have this book till you
ask me for it in a different way."

It took another hour of sulking before Master Lewie's pride could be
sufficiently humbled to admit of his asking in a civil tone for the
book; but hunger, which has reduced the defenders of many a strong
fortress, at last brought even this obstinate young gentleman to terms.
The book was handed him, on being properly asked for, and in a very few
minutes the lesson was learned, and recited without a mistake. Lewie
evidently expected a vast amount of commendation from his teacher, but
he received nothing of the kind. Mr. Malcolm only endeavored to make him
understand how much trouble he might have saved himself by attention to
his studies in the morning, and then talked to him very seriously for
some moments upon the folly and wickedness of giving way to such a
furious temper, endeavoring to point out some of the results to which it
would be likely to lead him.

One would think that two or three such contests with his tutor, in each
of which he was finally obliged to yield, would have taught our little
hero _who_ was the master, and would have led him, by timely compliance,
to avoid the recurrence of such scenes. But no! he was so unaccustomed
to having his will thwarted in any particular, that it seemed almost an
impossibility for him to submit to have it crossed. The moment anything
occurred in opposition to his wishes, his strong will rose rebellious;
and h