Frank spoke as though he had no interest in the matter, but it troubled him not a little.
It troubled Leon, too, and it was not settled until the next morning, when Mr. Parker said to Leon, as the latter arose from the breakfast table:
"I think it would be a good plan for you to look over the lessons you missed yesterday. I will call at ten minutes of nine, and walk down to the school-house with you."
"Yes, no doubt I'll look over those lessons!" said Leon, when he and his cousin had closed the door of the room behind them. "I'll see all the school-books in the country in Guinea before I will touch one until I am obliged to do so!"
But Leon was handling his school-books even while he spoke. He and Frank had each two sets—one at school and another which they kept at home, and which they were supposed to study occasionally of evenings.
The first thing the two boys did was to scatter their books all over the table, so that if Mr. Parker should happen to come into the room, he would be led to believe that they had been studying; and then they sat down and talked about the subject that was uppermost in their minds.
At the appointed time, Mr. Parker came to the foot of the stairs and called to them to come down.
He walked with them to the school-house, and, leaving them in the yard, entered the building and sought an interview with Mr. Chamberlain.