es and his father.
But the very first thing his father did was to pull his head back by the
hair behind, and ask him whether he had persuaded Mr. Tooke to tell him
all about the Crofton boys.

Hugh did not wish to make any answer; but his father said "Eh?" and he
thought he must speak; so he said that Phil had told him all he wanted
to know about the Crofton boys.

"Then you can get Mr. Tooke to tell you about Phil, if you want nothing
else," said Mr. Proctor.

Mr. Tooke nodded and smiled; but Hugh began to hand plates with all his
might, he was so afraid that the next thing would be a question how much
four times seven was.

The dinner went on, however; and the fish was eaten, and the meat, and
the pudding; and the dessert was on the table, without any one having
even alluded to the multiplication-table. Before this time, Hugh had
become quite at his ease, and had looked at Mr. Tooke till he knew his
face quite well.

Soon after dinner Mr. Proctor was called away upon business; and Hugh
slipped into his father's arm chair, and crossed one leg over the other
knee, as he leaned back at his leisure, listening to Mr. Tooke's
conversation with his mother about the sort of education that he
considered most fit for some boys from India, who had only a certain
time to devote to school-learning. In the course of this conversation
some curious things dropped about the curiosity of children from India
about some things very common here;--their wonder at snow and ice, their
delight at being able to slide in the winter, and their curiosity about
the harvest and gleaning, now approaching. Mr. Proctor came back just as
Mr. Tooke was telling of the annual holiday of the boys at harvest-time,
when they gleaned for the poor of the village. As Hugh had never seen a
corn-field, he had no very clear idea of harvest and gleaning; and he
wanted to hear all he could. When obliged to turn out of the arm-chair,
he drew a stool between his mother and Mr. Tooke: and presently he was
leaning on his arms on the table, with his face close to Mr. Tooke's, as
if swallowing the gentleman's words as they fell. This was inconvenient;
and his mother made him draw back his stool a good way. Though he could
hear very well, Hugh did not like this, and he slipped off his stool,
and came closer and closer.

"And did you say," asked Mr. Proctor, "that your youngest pupil is
nine?"

"Just nine;--the age of my own boy. I could have wished to have none
u