“How big do you mean?”
“Say fifteen.”
“Fifteen!” exclaimed Miss Brodie. “A mere infant!”
“Infant!” said Martin. “Not much! At fifteen my father was doing a man's full work in the bush and on the farm, and when he grew to be a man he cleared most of his own land, too. Why, when I was eleven I drove my team all day on the farm.”
“And how did you get your education, Mr. Martin?”
“Oh, they kept me at school pretty steadily, except in harvest and hay time, until I was fourteen, and after that in the winter months. When I was sixteen I got a teacher's certificate, and then it was easy enough.”
“And did you put yourself through college?” inquired Mr. Rae, both interest and admiration in his voice, for now they were on ground familiar in his own experience.
“Why, yes, mostly. Father helped, I suspect more than he ought to, but he was anxious for me to get through.”
“Rob,” cried Miss Brodie suddenly, “let's go! What do you say? We'll get a big bit of that land in the West, and won't it be splendid to build up our own estate and all that?”
Rob glanced from her into his mother's face. “I'd like it fine, Mamma,” he said in a low voice, slipping his hand into hers.