sobedient. I must go and see
about him. Where is he?"

"In his room, I suppose"--still in my former sulky manner; and, without
further words, my mother left the room, and went in search of my
cousin. I presently heard her voice calling to him at the foot of the
stair-case leading to our rooms, and Aleck's voice more distantly
replying to her. As, however, he did not immediately appear, I heard
afterwards that she had gone up-stairs, and found him pulling down his
sleeves and shaking off pieces of wood, and generally endeavouring to
render his appearance respectable; which was made the more difficult as,
in the course of his operations, he had dipped his elbow in the
glue-pot, and was considerably embarrassed by the fringe of shavings
which he was unable to detach.

"I'm coming as fast as I can, auntie," he said, pulling at the shavings,
and giving himself a rub with a duster in hopes that would make him
right.

"But, Aleck, how is it you're not in the school-room?" said my mother.
"I have just seen Willie there alone. You know the rule about not
leaving until lessons are finished. I fear that you have been tempted
away too soon by your ship-building tastes."

"Did not Willie tell you I had finished my lessons?" said Aleck,
quickly. "Oh, auntie, I would not have left before."

"Really finished, Aleck? Take care to be quite honest with yourself, for
indeed you've had but short time."

"Really and truly, auntie. I tried to be very quick to-day, because I do
so want to get on with this last ship I've begun. It seems coming more
like than the others. See, the stern is very like a real one."

My mother carefully inspected the unshapely block upon which my cousin
was at work, gave him a word or two of advice upon the subject, and came
down-stairs again to me; having decided in her own mind, as she
afterwards told me, to be present the next morning when Mr. Glengelly
came, and notice whether Aleck's work had been thoroughly prepared.

"How soon shall you have finished, my child?" she said, laying her hand
softly on my shoulder, and bending down to inspect my writing. "Let me
see what there is to be done."

"This exercise, and the verb to be learned, and my sum"--very grumpily.

"And how much have you done already?"

"Part of the exercise--not quite half; and I'm doing the verb now; and
the sum is finished, all but the proving."

My lip was quivering as I completed the list of what I had achieved, and
I was as nea