A monotonous female voice, raised to a high, expressionless monotone, came from beside the large blackboard facing a double row of desks and forms.
"Gay lengthened for the final syllable ture—li-ga-ture. Through the line for a third-place vowel. Is that quite clear?"
An expressionless murmur of assent came in reply.
"Once again then, please, and without putting in the vowels. Are you ready? Take the same words down again and the vowels to be indicated by the placing of the outline."
"Aperture—adventure—ligature——"
"Classroom pretty nearly full," said Mark under his breath. "There are always more students of shorthand than anything else."
"Who's giving the dictation?"
"Miss Farmer."
"It's an uneducated pronunciation. I wish we could get a better class of teacher."
"Young Cooper is pretty good. He takes French and accountancy and book-keeping."