"But his mother made him, James. You know Susan. She was as timid as a house-fly for herself, and I suppose for him."
"I asked him," said Rivers, "if he knew any Latin. He answered me in Latin and told me that at Budapest where he was long at school the boys had to speak Latin."
"And the rest, Rivers. Is he well up in mathematics?"
"No, he finds that difficult. But, upon my word, Squire, he is the most doggedly persistent fellow I have ever had to teach and I handled many boys when I was younger. I can take care of my side of the boy."
"He can skate, James," said Mrs. Ann.
"Yes, so I hear. I suppose that under Leila's care and a good out-of-door life he will drop his girl-ways—but—"
"But what, James?"
"Oh! he has been taught that there is no shame in failure, no disgrace in being afraid."
"How do you know he is afraid, my dear James?"
"Oh! I know." Leila's unwillingness to talk had given him some suspicion of the truth. "Well, we shall see. He needs some rough boy-company. I don't like to have the village boys alone with Leila, but when she has John with her it may be as well to ask Dr. McGregor's son Tom to coast and play with them."