"I don't know very much, Miss Kerr," said Mervyn shyly as he took the book from her hand; "papa says I am a dreadful dunce, but I only began to learn last year."
"Never mind that, my dear boy. If you give your attention to your book and feel anxious to learn, you will soon get on. Spell over these words for me and let me see what you can do."
Mervyn did as he was told, and with much difficulty he managed to spell down half a column of very easy words.
"Oh, I can do better than that! I can do better than that!" cried Bunny, wriggling about on her chair; "why, I could spell those words in a minute. Listen—h-o-u-s-e, d-a-y, m-o-u-s-e."
"Hush! Bunny, I cannot allow you to go on like that," said Miss Kerr gravely; "you have learned those words over and over again, so of course you know them well. Now, Mervyn, go and read them over by yourself and I will hear you say them without the book in a few minutes. Bunny, come and say your lesson."
The little girl slipped off her chair and came slowly across the room to Miss Kerr.
"Be quick, Bun, stir yourself," cried the governess; "I want to hear how beautifully you can spell words that you have never seen before; come along."
But Bunny still hung back with an obstinate look on her little face, that showed plainly how very unwilling she was to do as she was told.
"Come, dear child, be quick, you are wasting all my time;" and Miss Kerr held out her hand for the spelling-book.
Bunny handed it to her, and then dragging one foot slowly after the other, she at last stood by Miss Kerr's side.