Sisters Three | Page 8

different here, for a few hours."
"I think I'll stay and talk to you, if you don't mind," said Norah, seating
herself on an oak stool by the fire, and holding out a thin, brown hand
to shade her face from the blaze. "I'm very fond of talking when I get to
know people a little bit. Raymond told us that you were reading at
home to prepare for college, and that you didn't like it. I suppose that is
why you are tired of books. I wish I were in your place! I'd give
anything to go to a town, and get on with my studies, but I have to stay
at home and learn from a governess. Wouldn't it be nice if we could
change places? Then we should both be pleased, and get what we

liked."
The young fellow gave a laugh of amusement. "I don't think I should
care for the governess," he said, "though she seems awfully kind and
jolly, if she is the lady who looked after me last night. I've had enough
lessons to last me for the rest of my life, and I want to get to work, but
my father is bent on having a clever son, and can't make up his mind to
be disappointed."
"And aren't you clever? I don't think you look exactly stupid!" said
Norah, so innocently, that Rex burst into a hearty laugh.
"Oh, I hope I'm not so bad as that. I am what is called `intelligent,' don't
you know, but I shall never make a scholar, and it is waste of time and
money to send me to college. It is not in me. I am not fond of staying in
the house and poring over books and papers. I couldn't be a doctor and
spend my life in sick-rooms; the law would drive me crazy, and I could
as soon jump over a mountain as write two new sermons a week. I want
to go abroad--to India or Ceylon, or one of those places-- and get into a
berth where I can be all day walking about in the open air, and looking
after the natives."
"Oh, I see. You don't like to work yourself, but you feel that it is `in
you' to make other people exert themselves! You would like to have a
lot of poor coolies under you, and order them about from morning till
night--that's what you mean. I think you must be very lazy to talk like
that!" said Norah, nodding her head in such a meaning fashion that the
young fellow flushed in embarrassment.
"Indeed, I'm nothing of the kind. I am very energetic--in my own way.
There are all sorts of gifts, and everyone knows which one has fallen to
his share. It's stupid to pretend that you don't, I know I am not
intellectual, but I also know that I have a natural gift of management.
At school I had the arrangement of all the games and sports, and the
fellows would obey me when no one else could do anything with them.
I should like to have a crowd of workmen under me--and I'll tell you
this! they would do more work, and do it better, and be more contented
over it, than any other workmen in the district!"

"Gracious!" cried Norah, "you are conceited! But I believe you are
right. It's something in your eyes--I noticed it as soon as I saw you-- a
sort of commanding look, and a flash every now and then when you
aren't quite pleased. They flashed like anything just now, when I said
you were lazy! The poor coolies would be frightened out of their senses.
But you needn't go abroad unless you like. You could stay at home and
keep a school."
"No, thank you. I know too much about it. I don't want the life worried
out of me by a lot of boys. I could manage them quite well though, if I
chose."
"You couldn't manage me!" Norah brought her black brows together in
defiant fashion, but the challenge was not taken up, for Master Rex
simply ejaculated, "Oh, girls! I wasn't talking about girls," and laid his
head against the cushions in such an indifferent fashion that Norah felt
snubbed; and the next question came in a very subdued little
voice--"Don't you--er--like girls?"
"Ye-es--pretty well--the ones I know. I like my sister, of course, but we
have only seen each other in the holidays for the last six years. She is
sixteen now, and has to leave school because her chest is delicate, and
she has come home to be coddled. She don't like it a bit--leaving school,
I mean--so it seems that none of us are contented. She's clever, in music
especially; plays both