None of us have. Why! there's Plato! Blessings
upon you, Emilia! He must have been behind the piano quite two
months. I have hunted for him high and low." He seized the volume
rapturously and began reading aloud.
"That's all Greek to me," said I.
"Come along then," said he, "let's leave off now, the room's
beautiful; come, I'll teach you the alphabet."
And this was the germ of a scheme we have started. We had been
racking our brains for some time past how to meet during the winter,
in defiance of shortening days, cold, rain, and prejudice. Now we
have it. He is to teach me Greek, and will come to the house to give
me lessons. Thanks to my foreign extraction and to a certain
reputation I have got here for originality, my old ladies were not
at all surprised when I told them that a poor gentleman who lived
with his father and his aunt towards Miltonhoe was coming twice a
week to teach me. On the contrary, their kind old hearts were
touched at the mere mention of poverty, and they asked if I wouldn't
invite Miss Norton to tea; hence Monday's tea-party, which was
exceedingly funny. Ida Seymour had gone to a school treat at
Miltonhoe, so my old ladies and I had the place to ourselves.
Pages:
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73