in
this house, I pay Miss Kleary a princely salary, in order that I may
have some one at hand to whom I can explain my educational ideas. Now my
educational ideas are good; nay, Miss, I think I may even say that they
are very good. I will therefore beg you to do me the favour to stick to
them. I know what ought and what ought not to be allowed young girls; I
know that....."

The young girl's face blushed beneath the reproachful look of the old
tyrant, whilst the governess rose defiantly from her place, and in order
that she might wreak her anger upon some one, industriously proceeded to
pick holes in Henrietta's sewing and effectually spoil her whole day's
work.

Thus, it will be perceived, only one person had the right to speak; the
only right the other people had was not to listen to him.

But there was someone else in the background who had better rights than
anybody, and this someone now began to hammer with his fists on the
door, that very door at which the oldest and most trusty domestics
hardly dared to tap--began, I say, to hammer with his fists and kick
with his heels till everyone was downright scared.

This was the little grandson, the old gentleman's spoiled darling little
Maksi.

"Why don't you let in little Maksi?" cried the old gentleman, when he
heard him. "Open the door for little Maksi; don't you know that he is
not tall enough to reach the door-handle? Why don't you let him come to
me when he wants to come?"

At that moment the footman opened the door and the little family prince
bounded in. It was a pale little mouldy sort of flower, with red eyes
and a cornerless mouth like a carp, but with the authentic family nose
and the appurtenances thereof, which took up so much room as to
seriously imperil the prospects of the rest of the head growing in
proportion. The little favourite was wearing a complete Uhlan costume,
even the four-cornered chako was stuck on the side of his head; he was
flourishing a zinc sword and grumbling bitterly.

"What's the matter with little Maksi? Has anybody been annoying him?"

Grandpapa succeeded at last in making out that on running out Maksi had
tripped over his sword, that his tutor had wanted to take it away, that
Maksi had thereupon drawn his weapon and made the aggressor's hand smart
with it, and that finally he had fled for refuge to grandpapa's room as
the only place where he was free from the persecutions of his
instructors.

Grandpapa, in a terrible t