"So he is," said Thorne, who was ready to assent to anything that his mother might say.
"And yet his father thought him a paragon!" continued Mrs. Kent, her lip curling. "It is strange how parents can be deceived!"
Unconsciously she illustrated the truth of this remark in her own person. She considered Nicholas handsome, spirited, and amiable—indeed, as an unusually fascinating and attractive boy. To others he was big, overgrown, malicious, and stupid. But then mothers are apt to look through different spectacles from the rest of the world.
"I guess Jasper'll want to change his guardian," said Thorne, laughing. "You and he won't hitch horses very well."
"Don't use such a common expression, Nicholas. I want you to grow up a well-bred gentleman."
"Oh, well, I mean to. But I say, if his father liked him so much, what made him appoint you to take care of him?"
"He didn't know how I felt toward Jasper. I humored his fancies, and treated him better than I felt toward him."
"Then you wanted to be his guardian?"
"Yes, I wanted to pay off old scores," said Mrs. Kent, again compressing her lips with unpleasant firmness.
"What made you dislike him?" asked her son, with curiosity.