"Is it fair to yourself?"
"That's right—scold me, lecture me! You sound just like me aunt, ye do."
"But you'll be at such a disadvantage by-and-by with other young ladies without half your intelligence just because they know things you refuse to learn. Then you'll be ashamed."
She looked at him pleadingly. "Are YOU ashamed of me? Because I'm ignorant? Are ye?"
"Not a bit," replied Jerry heartily. "I was just the same at your age. I used to scamp at school and shirk at college until I found myself so far behind fellows I despised that I was ashamed. Then I went after them tooth and nail until I caught them up and passed them."
"Did ye?" cried Peg eagerly.
"I did."
"I will, too," she said.
"WILL you?"
She nodded vigorously: