“Answer me! Does he smoke in school hours?”
“Well,” confessed Hughie, reluctantly, “he does sometimes, but only after he gives us all our work to do.”
“Smoke in school hours!” ejaculated Mrs. Murray, horrified.
“Well, what's the harm in that? Father smokes.”
“But he doesn't smoke when he is preaching,” said the mother.
“No, but he smokes right afterwards.”
“But not in church.”
“Well, perhaps not in church, but school's different. And anyway, he makes them read better, and write better too,” said Hughie, stoutly.
“Certainly,” said his father, “he is a most remarkable man. A most unusual man.”
“What about your sums, Hughie?” asked his mother.