At ten minutes of eight Gilbert Greyson was announced.

“O Gilbert, I’m so glad to see you,” said Fred; “though I’m afraid I can’t be with you much this evening.”

“Why not?” asked Gilbert.

“Father has engaged a professor to assist me in my studies; when you came in I thought at first it was he.”

Gilbert read the joke in Mr. Vivian’s smiling face, and determined to keep it up.

“What sort of a teacher is he?” he asked.

“I don’t know. I suppose he’s an old fogy in spectacles.”

“Don’t you think you shall like him?”

“Father says if I don’t he’ll send him off at the end of the week.”

Again Gilbert smiled, and Mr. Vivian laughed outright.