“I don’t believe that the boy knows how to blush,” whispered Charles.
“But I hope that you don’t mean to keep us long here,” continued Jack, looking round rather contemptuously on the clean little dwelling.
“What do you mean?” replied Ernest; “surely you prefer it to the poor-house!”
“Why, you don’t think that I’ll stand living in a cottage, while my brother is in a castle! That would be rather a good joke I should say.”
“He’s no brother of yours,” cried Charles, angrily.
“I’m as good as he any day,” muttered the boy, glancing at Ernest with mingled envy and dislike. The young peer mastered his temper, though it cost him an effort. “I have placed you,” said he, “where one much wiser than either of us thinks that you will be best; I hope that you will be comfortable, and learn your work, and never have real cause to regret coming here.” With these words Ernest and Charles quitted the cottage, overhearing as they passed out Ben’s disappointed exclamation, “I thought he’d have made us gentlefolk too!”
“How hard it is to do good!” said Ernest, with a sigh of mortification, when they had walked a few steps from the place. “I see the wisdom of Mr. Ewart’s doubts, when he said that he believed that there might be objections to this plan.”
“Well, you’ve acted kindly, and you’ll have your reward,” observed Charles.
“Not in the gratitude of these boys.”