“You should become a practical botanist, Miss Selwyn.  But then your heart might prove too tender to tear your pets to pieces in order to find out their secrets.”

“I did not know my heart was specially tender.”

“I only judged so from your sympathy for the Blakes.  Only think, mother, Miss Selwyn was prophesying the time when I should be mourning over a departed wife.”

“You must not mind Hubert, Miss Selwyn.  He is a sad tease, as we all find to our sorrow.  He has not had brothers or sisters since his childhood to teach him gentleness.”

“Only children are apt to be not very agreeable companions.  We had some unpleasant specimens at school.”

“That is too hard on both of us, Miss Selwyn,” he said; “but I must prove to you that I, at least, am a beautiful exception to the general rule.”

For the first time I looked up at him closely, and was struck with the handsome merry face.

“With a very little effort you could make yourself very agreeable, I am sure,” I said, with all seriousness.

Even Mrs. Flaxman could not conceal her amusement at my remark.

“It is so refreshing to meet with such a frank young lady,” Hubert said, with downcast eyes.  I had a suspicion he was laughing at me.  Presently he glanced at me, when I found the fun in his eyes contagious, and, though at my own expense, indulged in a hearty laugh.

“I wish you would tell me when I make myself ridiculous.  I do not understand boys’ natures.  I scarce remember to have spoken a dozen consecutive sentences to one in my life.  All our Professors were more or less gray, and they every one wore spectacles.”

“They must been an interesting lot,” Hubert said, with a lack of his usual animation.  When I was longer with him I discovered that the open space in his armor was to be regarded a boy.

“But, no doubt they were all young and mischievous once.  The soberest horse in Belgium frisked around its mother in its colthood, no doubt.”

“You will see plenty of poor horses in America,” Mrs. Flaxman said.  “Faery is by no means a typical horse.”

“Faery’s master loves her.  That makes a world of difference with the ownership of other things than horses.”

“Really, Miss Selwyn, you can moralize on every subject, I believe, with equal ease.”

“He is making fun of me again, I presume,” I said, turning to Mrs. Flaxman.  “When I talk a longer time with you English-speaking people, I shall not be so open to ridicule.  Some day, Mr. Hubert, I may meet you in Germany, and then I shall be able to retaliate.”

“Before that time comes you will be generous enough to return good for evil.”

“And when shall you get your punishment then?”

“Maybe never.  I find a good many evil-doers get off scot free in this world.”

“But there are other worlds than this, my son,” his mother said, with such sweet seriousness that our badinage ceased for that evening.